Value assembly for inflating and deflating chambers of a floatable boom

ABSTRACT

A boom includes a plurality of boom sections joined end to end. Each boom section includes two or more parallel inflatable chambers which are joined with a weighted curtain which is reinforced for strength. Boom sections are stored compactly on respective reels. A substantial number of reels are arranged compactly in the hold of a carrier vessel which is smaller in size and has greater speed and maneuverability than vessels carrying known oil spill containment systems. Boom sections are consecutively unwound from their respective reels and connected end-to-end as they are deployed to form a continuous boom. The boom sections unwind naturally from the reels as the carrier vessel moves through the water away from a tender vessel holding the first end of the boom. The boom&#39;s deployment is controlled by a brake on an idler roller and a hydraulic crane&#39;s drive wheel on the reel, thus limiting manual handling to lighter-weight tasks. The carrier vessel, or, preferably, the tender vessel may inflate the chambers of the boom sections as they are deployed. The system is self-conained, as the carrier vessel is adapted to carry the tender vessel on its aft deck, releasing it when arriving at the spill site. Also, the tender can simultaneously deploy two substantially parallel booms, allowing an oil spill to be controllably segmented into smaller oil spills which are anchored or towed to calmer waters to await skimmer vessels.

This application is a divisional of allowed U.S. patent application Ser.No. 07/571,148 filed Aug. 23, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,152, issuedFeb. 11, 1992.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to devices for containment of oil spillsand the like, and to methods for deploying and retrieving them. Morespecifically, the invention relates to floating devices which may bequickly deployed to surround oil spills and the like, perhaps alsodividing and/or moving the spills, allowing a skimming vessel to thenremove them from the environment.

2. Related Art

Devices and methods for containing oil spills are known in the art, U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,352,219 and 3,615,017 (both to Valdespino), 3,703,811(Smith), 3,798,911 (Oberg), 3,807,617 (Tanksley), 4,089,178 (Kinase etal.), 4,295,755 (Meyers) 4,325,653 (Teasdale), 4,340,321 (Maheshwary etal.), 4,477,348 (Ayers et al.), and 4,480,800 (Oberg et al.) illustratevarious such devices and methods, and are incorporated herein byreference as if reproduced in full below.

Such known devices and methods suffer the drawbacks that a full boom ofsubstantial size has been difficult to deploy, particularly in a timelyfashion. The difficulty in deployment is often due to the necessity ofmanually deploying and retrieving them. Alternatively, the difficultyoften originates in the complexity of deployment, requiring asubstantial number of trained persons to be available at a particulargeographic location on short notice to attempt to timely contain an oilspill. Also, the deployment vessels had to be slow or inadequatelymaneuverable in order to deal with the weight and unwieldiness of knownbooms, thus inhibiting speedy deployment of a boom in a crisis.

Often, existing booms are stored on shore and have to be loaded on boatsbefore initial deployment, occupying valuable time while a spillspreads. As the spill spreads, it becomes even more difficult to containdue to its increased size. Crews are often untrained to handle a largespill because of the work involved in having a realistic drillsimulation.

Therefore, there is a need to provide means for containing oil spillsand the like in a manner which is rapid, requires a minimum of trainedpersons, is adapted to easily train crews, and involves minimumbulkiness and weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above limitations of known systems and methods are overcome by thepresent invention.

The present invention provides a boom including a plurality of boomsections joined end to end. Each boom section includes a plurality ofparallel inflatable chambers which are joined with a weighted curtainwhich is reinforced for strength.

The boom sections are stored compactly on respective reels. Asubstantial number of reels are arranged in compact form in the hold ofa carrier vessel which may be chosen smaller in size and with greaterspeed and maneuverability than vessels carrying known oil spillcontainment systems. The boom sections are consecutively unwound fromtheir respective reels and connected end-to-end as they are deployed toform a continuous boom. The unwinding of boom sections from the pluralreels may be by freewheeling as a deploying on the end of the boom aswell as a brake on an idler roller, on the end of the boom as well as abrake on an idler roller, thus limiting manual handling tolighter-weight tasks such as inserting inflation valves as the reels areunwound. This allows a minimum number of trained persons to be availableat any given geographic location. The carrier vessel, or, preferably, atender vessel may inflate the chambers of the boom sections as they aredeployed.

The carrier vessel is adapted to carry the tender vessel on its aftdeck, releasing it when arriving at the spill site. The speed andcapacity of the carrier vessel are chosen to allow it to rapidly arriveat the oil spill, carrying its tender and a number of boom sectionswhich forms a boom of substantial length. The carrier is provided with aquantity of anchors, with Polyform floats for each, and enough anchorline for the expected depth of water. Thus, initial containment of anoil spill may be quickly achieved, minimizing its size pending arrivalof additional boom sections. Total containment of even larger spills isallowed by easily loading additional reels into the carrier's hold froma dock, barge, wharf or another vessel.

The tender vessel may carry its own supply of reels of boom sections,further speeding deployment or providing deployment capability in shoalwaters. The tender can simultaneously deploy two substantially parallelbooms. Simultaneous deployment of two booms allows an oil spill to besegmented into smaller oil spills which are anchored or towed to calmerwaters to await skimmer vessels.

The inventive system is self-contained on the carrier vessel, and istherefore ready for its mission as soon as a crew is on aboard. Thissystem makes it easier to involve commercial fisherman in a contingencyplan for handling spills; they know the bottom, currents, and windconditions in their area. They see the effectiveness of a rapidresponse, and the simplicity of the system allows them to help indeployment, if necessary.

The present system is capable of retrieving known booms, after theinflatable boom has been deployed. A powered roller aboard the carriermay retrieve existing types of boom so they can be placed on pallets orin containers without heavy manual lifting; they can be lifted on or offthe carrier by its hydraulic crane.

The inventive oil spill containment system is fast, simple, anddependable. Its use is simple, requiring a minimum of trained personnel.It is substantially automated, requiring minimal manual labor. Thesegmented nature of the boom allows realistic simulation drills to bestaged, assuring availability of well-trained crews. The carrier vesselis as small and fast as feasible to still be effective in containinglarge oil spills. Wherever possible, the system uses off-the-shelf itemsto reduce cost.

More particularly, the invention provides an arrangement of first andsecond substantially identical boom valve assemblies especially suitablefor use in inflating and deflating chambers of a floatable boom. Thearrangement comprises the first and second substantially identical boomvalve assemblies having respective openings slightly smaller than thechambers' cross sectional area so as to allow low-pressure, high-volumeinflation of the chambers. Each of the first and second boom valveassemblies includes a hollow cylinder having an inside portion and anoutside portion, the hollow cylinder including at least one port at aposition on the inside portion such that when the cylinder is installedin the boom's chamber the at least one port is within the chamberproviding gas communication between the chamber and the interior of thecylinder. Each valve assembly further includes a diaphragm slidinglydisposed within the hollow cylinder having at least 1) a closed positionin which it is sealingly positioned between the outside portion of thecylinder and the at least one port to prevent gas from passing between(a) the inside of the chamber and (b) the cylinder's outside portion,and 2) an open position in which the diaphragm is positioned furtherfrom the open portion of the cylinder than the closed position to allowgas to pass between (a) the inside of the chamber and (b) the cylinder'soutside portion through the at least one port and through the cylinder.Each valve assembly further includes c) urging means, operativelyconnected to the diaphragm and having a small urging force ofpredetermined magnitude, for normally urging the diaphragm into theclosed position, the urging force's predetermined magnitude being evenless than that of the low pressure air pumped from through the firstvalve assembly through the opening to the second valve assembly.

The invention also provides a method of using first and secondsubstantially identical valve assemblies to simultaneously inflaterespective first and second chambers of boom sections in a boom forcontaining spills of a substance on a body of water, the methodcomprising the steps of: (a) inserting a removable fitted piece intoonly the first valve assembly so as to hold the first valve assembly inan open position, the open position allowing passage of gas from insidethe first chamber out the first valve assembly through an opening, theopening being slightly smaller than the chambers' cross sectional areaso as to allow low-pressure, high-volume inflation of the chambers; (b)attaching a connecting tube between the first valve assembly and thesecond valve assembly; and (c) pumping the air at low pressure into thefirst chamber so that the low pressure air passes from the firstchamber, through the first valve assembly, out the opening, and throughthe connecting tube, to force the second valve assembly into its openposition using only the force of the low pressure pumped air.

Moreover, the invention provides a method of using first and secondsubstantially identical valve assemblies to simultaneously inflaterespective first and second chambers of boom sections in a boom forcontaining spills of a substance on a body of water, the methodcomprising the steps of (a) inserting into only the first valveassembly, means for holding the first valve assembly in an open positionand allowing passage of gas from inside the first chamber out the firstvalve assembly and into the second valve assembly through an opening,the opening being slightly smaller than the chambers' cross sectionalarea so as to allow low-pressure, high-volume inflation of the chambers;and (b) pumping the air at low pressure into the first chamber so thatthe low pressure air passes from the first chamber, through the firstvalve assembly, and through the opening, to force the second valveassembly into an open position using only the force of the low pressurepumped air.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art upon a reading of the following DetailedDescription of the Preferred Embodiments with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is better understood by reading the following DetailedDescription of the Preferred Embodiments with reference to theaccompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer tolike elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates the essential shape of a boom section 100 in oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B illustrates more of the structural details of the boom sectionof FIG. 1A, including the physical support provided the curtain bylongitudinal cables;

FIG. 1C is a side view of the boom section 100 with a second boomsection 184, illustrating their connection, along with furtherstructural details of boom section 100;

FIG. 1D is a side view of a fitted piece for holding open a valve inFIG. 1C;

FIG. 2A illustrates in cross section the part of boom section 100including valve assemblies 158 and 160;

FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of the seal 226 from FIG. 2A, unfoldedfor purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2C illustrates in cross section the structures of FIG. 2A, but withthe chambers slightly separated for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2D is a top view of the portion of boom section 100 which containsvalve assemblies 158 and 160;

FIG. 3 illustrates in cross section the spacer float 190 which was shownin FIG. 1C;

FIG. 4 illustrates a carrier vessel 400 and a tender vessel 402deploying a typical boom section;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a carrier and a tender in the process ofdeploying two matched sets of booms to divide an oil spill into a first"north" area 502 and a second "south" area 504;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are side and top views of the carrier vessel 400 withthe tender vessel 402 mounted on its afterdeck with a splitter 538;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are side and top views, respectively, of a preferredembodiment of the tender vessel according to the present invention;

FIG. 8A is a partial cutaway side view, and FIG. 8B is a top view, ofthe hold of the carrier vessel according to a preferred embodiment; FIG.8C illustrates a preferred reel for storing boom sections;

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate in forward-looking and starboard side views,respectively, a preferred embodiment of the carrier vessel's A-frame;

FIG. 10A illustrates the hydraulic crane 410 useful in embodiments ofthe present invention; FIGS. 10B, 10C, and 10D illustrate side, top, andend views, in partial cutaway form, of a drive wheel assembly used tocontrol the rotation of various reels in the hold of the carrier vessel;FIG. 10E illustrates a tandem hydraulic cylinder arrangement which maycontrol the crane's swivel; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B are front and side views, respectively, of thepreferred reel bearing mount 1102 and reel bearing anchor 1104 accordingto the present invention; FIG. 11C is a top plan view of a section ofthe reel bearing anchor 1104.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustratedin the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake ofclarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to thespecific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that eachspecific element includes all technical equivalents which operate in asimilar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Also, directionalindicators such as left, right, top, bottom, forward, aft, vertical,horizontal, north, south, and so forth, are employed for descriptiveease, showing relative orientations of components; they should not beinterpreted as limiting in nature.

Certain elements may be omitted from the drawings and text for clarityor brevity because they have structures and functions known to thoseskilled in the art and are capable of implementation by suchindividuals; given the following description and accompanying drawingfigures, those skilled in the art are readily capable of implementingthe present invention using knowledge possessed or readily available tothem.

FIG. 1A is a simplified perspective view of a boom section 100. Forpurposes of graphic simplicity, many structural features of thepreferred boom section have been omitted in FIG. 1A, and the boomsection is shown substantially foreshortened to fit on within a drawingsheet.

A plurality of such boom sections 100 are attached end to end to form aboom which is deployed to surround a spillage of oil or other floatingsubstance. A seal in the form of a sheet is joined to successive boomsections near adjacent ends of successive chambers. The seal covers thespace between consecutive boom sections, helping to minimize oil leaksbetween the boom sections. The manner in which the boom sections 100 areattached to form a boom, and the manner in which they are deployed tocontain oil spills, are described in greater detail below.

As illustrated in FIG. 1A, boom section 100 includes first and secondsubstantially air-tight, gas-filled chambers 102, 104. When the boom isdeployed, the chambers are substantially parallel, adjacent tubularstructures filled with air. When viewed from the end, the chamberstogether form a generally symmetrical heart-shaped figure whose twosides are separated to form chambers which are independently inflatable.Advantageously, the invention provides plural chambers to ensure thatdeflation of a single chamber due to puncture or other gas leakage doesnot cause a boom section to sink. This feature enhances the security ofthe boom as a whole, as the boom section having a chamber experiencing apuncture remains floating by virtue of the buoyancy provided by theremaining inflated chamber. Of course, when both chambers are inflated(as in normal operation), the boom rests higher in the water than manyknown booms, so that containment of the oil spill is possible in rougherseas.

A curtain 106 projects downwardly from these first and second chambers,ideally throughout their entire length. The curtain is constructed toremain substantially vertical, providing a barrier to passage of fluidsfloating on the surface of the water, even in rough seas.

The boom section 100 is designed to be deployed in the water, so thatthe gas-filled chambers 102, 104 provide substantial buoyancy to theboom section as a whole. As a result of the buoyancy provided by theair-filled chambers, the boom sections seek a water level indicated inFIG. 1A as dashed line W. Thus, assuming a calm water surface, the boomprojects out of the water by a distance h, while the chambers arepartially immersed to a depth d. Curtain 106 hangs down into the waterbeneath the chambers 102, 104 a distance H beneath the bottom of thechambers. In particular, curtain 106 is illustrated as having a verticalheight H which may be chosen to be 22 inches. Typically, the water lineW is a distance d at least 3-4 inches above the bottom of the chambers.This implies that, typically, the chambers project h=8 inches above thewater's surface for containment of oil in rough seas. The length L ofthe boom 100 is in practice longer than that shown in the foreshortenedillustration of FIG. 1A, and is typically 100 or 500 feet.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, structural details of the boom illustrated inFIG. 1A are illustrated.

Although FIG. 1B illustrates more structural details than FIG. 1A, thequantity of certain elements has been reduced for graphic clarity.Because the length L of any boom section may be 100-500 feet or more,the number of "panels" (such as a 2-foot panel 140, described below) ina 500-foot long boom section could exceed 250. Thus, FIG. 1B illustratesonly seven panels in lieu of such a large number of panels which wouldbe present in an actual embodiment.

In the preferred embodiment, curtain 106 is strengthened and supportedby five cables 108 which run horizontally with the curtain. Cables 108terminate at both ends of curtain 106 in end strips 110, 112. The endsof cable 108 are provided with first fastening means 114 such as loopsor conventional snap connectors or the like, which are positioned nearend strip 110. Similarly, at the other end of the curtain, secondfastening means 116 are provided outside end strip 112. The firstfastening means 114 attach to the second fastening means 116 of anext-adjacent boom section when the boom is deployed. Second fasteningmeans 116 may include an intermediate ring disposed between therespective snap connectors, this arrangement being illustrated in moredetail below, with reference to FIG. 1C.

Each of cables 108 may include a series of cable sections of length C,as illustrated in FIG. 1B. Successive cable lengths are joined at stripsexemplified by strips 118, 120. In this manner, a first cable segmentextends from end strip 110 to strip 118. A second cable segment extendsfrom strip 118 to strip 120. Finally, in this simplified, foreshorteneddiagram, another cable segment extends from strip 120 to end strip 112.First fastening means 114 and second fastening means 116 are thus firmlyjoined by five sets of cables, each cable including cable segments whichare joined at strips such as 118, 120.

The cables 108 extend horizontally along curtain 106 in an alternatingfashion between panels determined by spaced vertical strips 122, 126,130, 132, 134, 136. The cables extend from end strip 110 on a side ofthe curtain which is visible in FIG. 1B. However, as the cables reachstrip 122, they pass through respective holes 124 in the strip, so thatthe cables are hidden from view in FIG. 1B until they reach a strip 126.At strip 126, the cable pass through holes 128 so that they are againvisible in FIG. 1B. Similarly, the cables pass through strips 130, 132,134, and 136 before terminating at end strip 112.

Strips 122, 126, 130, 132, 134, and 136 divide the curtain 106 into aplurality of panels 138, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148, and 150. Each panelhas cables 108 on a side opposite that of the preceding or successivepanel. This alternating arrangement of cable support provides theadvantage of greater strength of the curtain when the boom section isdeployed. Specifically, assume a higher water pressure is present on thenear side of the boom section 100, due to such forces as a net velocityof water in the direction entering the plane of FIG. 1B or due to theboom being pulled inward to contain an oil spill. Assuming the waterpresses substantially equally on each of the panels 138, 140 . . . 150,the material of panels 140, 144, and 148 is supported on its oppositeside (hidden from view in the drawing) by the cables. However, thematerial of panel 138, 142, 146, and 150 are pressed further from the(visible in the drawing) cables, and in this respect may be considered"less well-supported lengths" of the boom section.

In the illustrated embodiment, the length "l" of each of the panels 138. . . 150 may be chosen to be small, preferably two feet. Thus, the lesswell-supported lengths of curtain 106 (namely, panels 138, 142, 146, and150) do not extend very far along the length of the boom section. Also,each of the less well-supported panels is surrounded by other panelshaving greater support provided by the cables. In this manner, thecables provide physical support to all panels in the curtain. Thischoice of small panel length minimizes the focusing of pressure inselected panels, thereby increasing the overall strength of the curtain.

The bottom one of the five cables 108 is preferably threaded with aplurality of evenly-spaced lead weights 152 to add stability to the boomwhen it is deployed. By adding mass to the bottom of the curtain, leadweights 152 help to assure that the curtain 106 hangs substantiallyvertically beneath chambers 102, 104. Optionally, metal chains may beadded to the curtain to provide more ballast. With this arrangement, asubstantially vertical wall of boom sections 100, joined together inseries by first and second fastening means 114, 116, may encircle an oilspill, even in rough seas, in the presence of significant currents, orwhen the spill as a whole is "towed" to a different location for holdingor skimming.

Strips 154 and 156 are disposed near the ends of curtain 106 near endstrips 110, 112, respectively. Bonded to strips 154, 156 are steelmembers formed in the shape of an "L". These steel L's are designed tomate with magnets which are placed on corresponding locations on a seal226, to be described below, with respect to FIGS. 1C, 2A and 2B.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1B are four valve assemblies 158, 160, 162, and164. First and third valve assemblies 158, 162 are located on the topside of first chamber 102, near opposite ends thereof. Similarly, secondand fourth valve assemblies 160, 164 are located on the top side of thesecond chamber 104 near opposite ends thereof. These valve assembliesallow inflation of the chambers 102, 104 at the time of deployment. Theadvantages of having two valve assemblies for each chamber, rather thanone valve assembly, is explained in greater detail below. The structureand use of the valve assemblies are described in greater detail below,with respect to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C.

In the preferred embodiment, the length C of cable segments isadvantageously 50 feet. The length of 1 of each panel is two feet. Thematerial forming the chambers and curtain may advantageously be1/32-inch thick neoprene. However, where greater strength is requireddue to anticipated focusing of stress, such as the ends of the boomsections, and sleeves where the valves are inserted, the strips may beneoprene of greater thickness. The ends and the sleeves may be 1/16-inchneoprene. Strips 122, 126, 130, 132, 134, 136 may be 1/16-inch thickneoprene vulcanized to the curtain. The widths of these strips may beadvantageously chosen to be two inches. Strips 118 and 120 may be threelengths of 1/8-inch by 2 inch neoprene which is vulcanized to thecurtain at fifty foot intervals. The cables 108 may advantageously be750 pound test nylon monofilament, available from Hi-Seas Industries,Inc. of N.Y., N.Y. 10013-1338. First fastening means 114 may be a loopin the Nylon monofilament held by an aluminum sleeve set with a crimpingtool. These loops 114 are joined by stainless steel Fast Eye Snap Hooks116 of a succeeding or previous boom section.

Referring now to FIG. 1C, various details not previously explained inthe illustration of FIG. 1B are now presented.

First, the manner in which consecutive segments of cable 108 are affixedmay be seen by referring to strip 118 (FIG. 1C). A first segment ofcable is labeled 108A, and a second segment of cable is labeled 108B.Cable segment 108A extends from the left to overlap strip 118, beingoutside the strip to be visible in FIG. 1C. Conversely, cable segment108B approaches strip 118 from the right, and extends beneath it, sothat it is not visible behind the strip in FIG. 1C. The end of cablesegment 108B is attached to cable 108A by a fixing means 180. Similarly,the end of cable 108A is firmly affixed to cable segment 108b by asecond fixing means 182. The two fixing means and two cable segmentsthus "trap" strip 118, which is in turn vulcanized to the curtain.

In this manner, cable segments 108A and 108B are fixed to one another ata location on the curtain which is fixed by the location of strip 118.Fixing means 180 and 182 may be metal pieces which are securely affixedto the cables 108A and 108B by means of a crimping tool. Cableimmediately adjacent fastening means 114 and 116 may also be fastened toend strips 110 and 112, respectively, by a similar crimping arrangement.Specific fixing means allowing this crimping may be implemented by usingpart no. HSC-600 manufactured by Hi-Seas Industries, Inc. of N.Y., N.Y.10013-1338. In manufacture of large quantities, an equivalent poweredversion would be used.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1C is a preferred means for simultaneouslyinflating plural adjacent boom sections. A boom section 100 isillustrated adjacent a succeeding boom section 184. Boom section 100includes a fourth valve 164 (as illustrated above, in FIG. 1B).Similarly, succeeding boom section 184 includes a valve assembly 186. Aneoprene tube 188 connects valve assemblies 164 and 186.

Valve 164 is held open by a notched, shaped piece 195 (FIG. 1D). Piece195 may be of nylon or similar material that is placed across a ring nut214 (FIG. 2A, below) and into opposing ports 220. As shown in FIG. 1D, apreferred fitted piece 195 is essentially shaped like a partiallyflattened uppercase Greek letter Omega (Ω) 5.625 inches in length whennot stretched or compressed. The two side arms A are 0.5×0.5-inchextensions from a center arc B. Arc B has an inside diameter of 3.0625inches from an imaginary center located 2 inches below a base plane C,and an outside diameter of 3.0625 inches from an imaginary center 1.4375inches below the base plane C. A small countersink D at the center ofthe inside arc allows stabilization of the position of the ring nut. Thepiece may be made of 0.5-inch thick nylon for a proper combination offlexibility during insertion and removal, firmness after insertion, anddurability.

Returning to discussion of FIG. 1C, the open position of valve 164allows gas communication between the two boom sections' chambers. Whentube 188 is removed, valve 186 is closed. Valve 164 closes when theshaped piece is removed. This removal process only takes seconds. Thestructural and functional details of the valve assemblies is describedbelow, with respect to FIG. 2A.

With the arrangement of boom sections 100 and 184 and the neoprene tube188 shown in FIG. 1C, gas (normally ambient air) may be pumped inthrough valve assembly 160, thus filling the chamber within boom section100. Because valve 164 is maintained in an open position, air beingpumped into the chamber of boom section 100 is also forced through theneoprene tube 188, forcing valve 186 into its open position. Air thenflows into the chamber of succeeding boom section 184. In this manner,affixing a single gas pump to valve assembly 160 allows inflation of twoor more succeeding boom assemblies 100, 184, and so forth.

After inflation of the chambers of the plural succeeding boom sectionshas been completed, neoprene tube 188 is removed, as is the shaped pieceholding open valve 164. The valves close, preventing air from escapingthe chambers after the boom is deployed.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1C is a spacer float 190. Spacer float 190 fitsbetween the chambers of adjacent boom sections 100 and 184, and isattached to the fastening means 116 by means of a metal ring 192. Ring192 assures that spacer float 190 is in the proper vertical position forperforming its sealing functions. Spacer float 190 is illustrated incross-section in FIG. 3.

Spacer float 190 provides a sealing function, helping seal 226 (FIGS. 2Aand 2B, below) to prevent oil from escaping between the chambers ofadjacent boom sections. The spacer float also provides added buoyancy tothe boom sections near their ends, where the materials are thicker andheavier.

A 1/16-inch by 2-inch neoprene support strip 194 is provided in themiddle of panel 142 to support the bottom cable 108C which supports leadweights 152. Support strip 194 is folded over on itself at an angle ofseventy-five degrees to present a V-shaped outline, as illustrated. Thesupport strip is vulcanized to the curtain above horizontal line 196,the support strip thus forming a horizontal channel 198 through whichthe weighted cable 108C is threaded. A support strip such as supportstrip 194 is provided on each two-foot panel 138, 140, 142, 144, 146,148, 150 (FIG. 1B), to relieve stress placed on holes 124 in verticalstrips 122, 126, 130, 132, 134, 136.

Vertical strips 154 and 156 are disposed near the ends of curtain 106near end strips 110, 112, respectively. Bonded to strips 154, 156 aresteel members 170 formed in the shape of an "L" when viewed from aboveor below. The short arm of the "L" 170 projects outward from the curtainat the end of the longer arm which is closest to the end of the curtain.These steel L's are designed to mate with magnets which are placed oncorresponding locations on a seal 226, to be described below, withrespect to FIGS. 2A and 2B. In the illustrated boom section, the magnetsare located eight inches from the end of the boom section.

A neoprene cap 161 is shown atop valve 160 in FIG. 1C. This cap is usedif the valves show signs of leakage, or if there is need to keep waterout of the valve interior 201 (FIG. 2A) in case of rain, stormy weather,or freezing spray. This cap 161 slips over the valve and may be held inplace with a hose clamp.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2C, cross sectional views of the boomsection and valve assemblies are illustrated.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A, valve assemblies 160 and 158 are illustratedinserted into chambers 104 and 102, respectively.

Referring especially now to valve assembly 158 as an illustrativeexample, the valve assembly includes a right circular cylinder 200 whosebottom side holds a base plate 206 which guides a vertically orientedvalve stem 208 and also supports a spring 212. The valve assembly alsoincludes a movable diaphragm 210 having a center hole through whichvalve stem 208 passes. Valve stem 208 terminates in a ring nut 214.

Diaphragm 210 divides the interior of cylinder 200 into upper and lowerchambers 201 and 202, respectively. Diaphragm 210 is normally urgedupward by a spring 212 which forces it away from base plate 206. Theupward motion of diaphragm 210 is restricted by an O-ring 216 which isinserted securely in a groove 218 formed in the inner wall of cylinder200. In this manner, absent any downward force on diaphragm 210, spring212 forces diaphragm 210 into contact with O-ring 216 so as to preventair contained within boom chamber 102 or in valve chamber 202 fromescaping. Diaphragm 210 is held against O-ring 216 by air pressure fromthe chamber which is about 4 to 5 times as much as pressure exerted bythe spring; the spring's main function is to initially close the valveso that the air pressure can keep the valve closed.

Cylinder 200 is provided with a plurality of ports 220, disposedapproximately midway between groove 218 and the base plate 206 at thebottom of the cylinder 200. Ports 220 provide continuous aircommunication between boom chamber 102 and the interior of the cylinder200.

To force air into the chamber, an air pump such as a six-inchcentrifugal blower (not shown) is connected to cylinder 200 in anair-tight manner. The force of air from the blower forces diaphragm 210downward toward base plate 206, against the force of spring 212. Withsufficient pressure applied by the blower, diaphragm 210 is forceddownwardly to a vertical position 211 so that ports 220 allowcommunication between cylinder top chamber 201 and boom chamber 102. Inthis manner, air is pumped into boom chamber 102. As the blower isremoved from cylinder 200, the force of spring 212 causes diaphragm 210to return to its sealing position in contact with O-ring 216.

Preferably, chamber 102 is inflated to a pressure of 1/2-3/4 pounds persquare inch (15-21 inches of water pressure), adding to the force on thebottom side of diaphragm 210 to keep it sealingly pressed against O-ring216. A suitable blower is model no. Design 53 #B5, available fromChicago Blower Corp. of 1675 Glen Ellyn Rd., Glendale Heights, IL 60139.A blower capable of moving 1200 cubic feet per minute of air providesadequate speed of inflation when rapid deployment is desired.

Cylinder 200 may be a 5-inch schedule 80 PVC pipe, 5.563-inch outsidediameter. Diaphragm 210 and base plate 206 may be 1/4-inch aluminumdisks. Base plate 206 may be affixed to the cylinder by 1/8-inchstainless steel push pins. Ring nut 214 may be a 1/4-inch in diameter.

Also illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C is a seam 222. The seam isadvantageously located at a point which is directly opposite to an apex224 of the chamber 104. This placement of the seam allows the boomsection to lie in a flat position when deflated and wound on a drum whenthe boom section is not deployed. This design also helps preventcracking of the boom material when stored for long periods of time.

A seal 226 covers the chamber 104 starting near its intersection withchamber 102, illustrated at point 228. From its starting point 228, seal226 projects upward over the top of the chamber and finally downwardly,to join with the left face of curtain 106. As illustrated in FIGS. 2Aand 2B, seal 226 is a substantially rectangular sheet of 1/16-inchneoprene.

Seal 226 has bonded to it two sets of five rectangular magnets, one ofwhich is illustrated as element 230. Magnets 230 are disposed to matewith the L-shaped steel inserts 170 which are bonded to vertical strips154, 156 (FIG. 1C). The seal's magnets are located a horizontal distanceapart which is determined by two times the distance of the steel L'sfrom the ends of the boom sections plus the separation betweensucceeding boom sections as determined by first and second fasteningmeans 114, 116.

FIG. 2A illustrates that there may be two steel L's 170A and 170B,allowing a seal 226 to be affixed on either side of the curtain. Thisallows flexibility as to which side of the boom to which the seal isattached; the seal should be attached to the side of the boom facing thespill. Choice of which side of the boom to place the seal is made,depending on whether the boom is being deployed in a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction around the spill. In the illustratedembodiment, the seal is chosen to be affixed to the left side of thecurtain, thus employing steel "L" 170A. The arm of the "L" whichprojects away from the curtain "catches" the magnet 230, helping toensure that the seal does not slip off by being pulled away from oneboom section by the relative motion of an adjacent boom section.

Two apertures 164' and 186' (illustrated in FIG. 2B) also help to locateand secure seal 226. Apertures 164' and 186' allow room for valveassemblies in adjacent boom sections (such as 164 and 186 in FIG. 1C,respectively) to fit through the seal.

In this arrangement, seal 226 provides a sealing function to cover thegap shown between adjacent boom sections 100 and 184 (FIG. 1C). Most orall of the depth of the oil spill will contact the portion of the sealwhich is adjacent the inflatable chamber 104. However, seal 226 isadapted to effectively seal oil on one side of the boom, even in rougherseas, due to the downward extent of the seal to cover gaps between theends of the curtain 106.

Referring now to FIG. 2C, the attachment of chamber 102 to the curtain106 is more clearly illustrated. Chambers 102 and 104 are illustrated asseparated from one another for purposes of illustration; when deployed,chambers 102 and 104 are normally in contact. The material forming thewall of chamber 102 extends downwardly from apex 240 to join with thecurtain 106 along a segment illustrated as element 242. Segment 242 maybe a 3-inch segment of neoprene which is vulcanized to the neoprenecurtain. The segment 242 is approximately 4 inches from the apex of thechamber.

Referring now to FIG. 2D, a top view of the boom section 100 with valveassemblies 160 and 158 are illustrated. Also illustrated in FIG. 2D isend cover 250 which has been omitted from previous drawing figures forpurposes of clarity. As shown in FIG. 2D, end cover 250 seals the end ofsecond chamber 104 in an air-tight fashion. Another end cover 252 servesa similar function for chamber 102.

End covers 250 and 252 are made of a thicker material (1/16-inchneoprene) than that generally forming the chambers 102 and 104(1/32-inch neoprene). This stronger construction is due to the expectedexperience of greater stress during insertion of the valve assemblies,inflation of the chambers, deployment, and mechanical friction againstspacer floats 190.

The valve assemblies may be attached to the chambers/end covers bystainless steel hose clamps (not explicitly shown) as the boom sectionsare being deployed. The first set of valve assemblies (with hose clamps)is removed after retrieval prior to re-winding onto spools, so that theboom sections are able to be tightly wound onto reels. However, thevalve assemblies which are on the "loose" end of the boom sections woundon the reels may remain attached. This continued attachment of thevalves saves time when rapid deployment of the boom is desired.

FIG. 3 illustrates in the cross section the spacer float 190 which wasshown in side view in FIG. 1C. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the spacerfloat cross section is essentially a heart-shaped figure whichsubstantially matches the cross-section of two chambers 102, 104 whenthey are inflated. This shape allows the spacer float 190 to seal thespace between adjacent boom sections and provide physical support forseal 226 (FIGS. 2A, 2B). The spacer floats may be inflated and deflatedwith, for example, a stem valve 302.

FIG. 4 illustrates a carrier vessel 400 and a tender vessel 402deploying a typical boom section 404. The structural details of carrier400 and tender 402 will be described in greater detail below. However,at this point, the deployment of a single boom section 404 is presentedfor purposes of illustrating certain general concepts of the invention.

Carrier 400 has hold section 406 which contains a plurality of reels408. Each reel 408 has wound around it a boom section such as boomsection 404. Boom sections extend up path 412 above a bottom roller 414on a vertical carrier A-frame 416. From roller 414, the boom sectionhangs down along a path 418 down to the water, whose surface isindicated by element designator W. A-frame 416 on carrier 400 has asecond, top roller 436 which is not used during deployment.

At the opposite end of boom section 404, a flotation device 420, such asa "polyball" or foam device, floats. A suitable flotation device 420 maybe a Polyform Buoy, from Polyform USA Ltd., 7030 So. 224th, Kent,Washington 98032. The polyball is connected to the boom section by aplurality of cables 422. Each of the plurality of cables mayadvantageously be connected to the first fastening means 114 (FIG. 1B)on the boom section. Extending downward from polyball 420 is an anchorline 424 having at its lower end an anchor 426. Typically, a carrierbrings at least fifty, 30-40 pound anchors, with a corresponding numberof polyballs.

Anchor 426 helps to ensure that the end of boom section 404 remains at asubstantially stationary point in the water. Polyball 420 providesbuoyancy for the end of the boom section, so that the anchor does notpull a portion of the boom section underwater.

Tender 402 is illustrated with inflation lines 428 connected between anon-board portable diesel-driven blower and the boom sections. Theinflation lines allow inflating the boom sections so that they do notsink during deployment. Towing post holder 430, tender A-frame 432, andtender hold 434 are also illustrated, although they are not activelyused at the time illustrated in FIG. 4. The detailed structure andoperation of these components will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 4 illustrates the beginning of the process of deploying a boomhaving several boom sections. However, in many instances, it isdesirable to divide an oil spill into smaller sections, after it hasbeen contained by boom sections according to the present invention. Forexample, dividing the contained oil spill into smaller sections allowsthe smaller sections to be towed to areas where the water is calmerallowing the oil to be skimmed from the water surface. To illustrate themanner in which a oil spill may thus be divided, FIG. 5 is provided.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a carrier 400 and a tender 402 in the process ofdeploying two matched sets of booms to divide an oil spill into a first"north" area 502 and a second "south" area 504. (The directionalindicators "north", "south", and so forth, are merely provided for easeof reference and are not intended to be limiting or descriptive of anynecessary orientation of the booms or vessels in practice.) It isassumed for this discussion that the oil spill has been at leastpartially contained by successively connected boom sections, only fourof which are illustrated. Southwest boom section 506 and northwest boomsection 508 are joined at a point 510 to provide a west barrier to theoil spill. Similarly, southeast boom section 512 and northeast boomsection 514 are connected at a point adjacent carrier 400, thusproviding an east barrier to the oil spill.

To divide the oil spill into north area 502 and south area 504, tender402 proceeds westwardly, pulling behind it two sets of boom sections. Afirst, north set of boom sections includes boom sections 516, 518, 520,and 522. Similarly, a south set of boom sections includes boom sections526, 528, 530, and 532. The first set of boom sections is towed bytowing post 534 on the tender, whereas the second set of boom sectionsis towed by towing post 536.

In the oil spill splitting scenario illustrated in FIG. 5, the bow oftender 402 is outfitted with a splitter 538 and right and left sidebooms 540 and 542. These side booms may be short sections ofsingle-chamber booms. Side booms 540, 542 are attached to the forwardtowing post inside the aft end of the splitter by means of stainlesssteel fast-eye snaps to shackles in holes of towing posts, as describedin greater detail below. The splitter 538 is preferably "V" shaped, andis attached to the bow of the tender so as to plow through the water.The splitter 538 and side booms 540, 542 surround tender 402.

In addition to the splitting scenario of FIG. 5, side booms 540 and 542are also used if the tender is making a split one boom long. Inscenarios in which boom is deployed from reels on the tender andinflated by the carrier (the opposite of the normal deploymentscenario), the side booms are needed because the boom being run out doesnot reach the water until it is 15 or 20 feet from the tender, givingthe oil a chance to get into the clean area between parallel boomsections.

Returning to discussion of FIG. 5, as tender 402 proceeds westward,splitter 538 divides the oil spill into north and south areas 502, 504,with the two sets of boom sections defining a narrow inner area of cleanwater surface 544.

Splitter 538 is provided with a push post 546 at its foremost point,allowing tender 402 to push the west barrier 506, 508 away from the oilspill. After the west barrier has been pushed away from the oil spill,boom section 508 may be joined with boom section 516, and boom section506 may be joined with boom section 526. It is preferable from the pointof view of containing the oil spill that the connecting of the boomsection be performed in clear water so that during the brief time inwhich sections 508 and 506 are separated, no oil escapes. Preferably,the tender is equipped with at least two blowers, because of the largenumber of chambers to inflate.

It is envisioned that a particularly useful means of containing a spillwould to be deploy a boom around and across the leeward end of thespill. After oil had flowed to a desired depth, it may be split off in amanner described with respect to FIG. 5; the spill may then be moved toa more appropriate anchorage. This process may be repeated as many timesas required.

As introduced above, a main advantage of the present invention is itsability to arrive at the scene of an oil spill rapidly, and contain itin an expedited manner. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrates the carrier vessel400 with the tender vessel 402 mounted on its afterdeck. In a preferredembodiment, the carrier is 70 feet in length with three500-700-horsepower engines and the tender is 25 feet in length with a150-horsepower engine. These sizes are believed optimum for quicklyarriving at the scene of an oil spill, and rapidly deploying asignificant length of boom. This in contrast to known systems, in whichlarger ships are necessary to carry booms which are greater in bulk andtherefore more difficult to deploy than the boom sections according tothe present invention. A larger boat might take a longer time to arriveat the scene of a spill, whereas a smaller boat might be able to carry alength of boom which would be insufficient to surround and contain anadequate amount of the oil spill.

There are at least two reasons for employing three engines instead ofone or two of much more horsepower. One large engine of equivalenthorsepower would push the boat too fast for easy handling at low speeddue to the size and pitch of the propeller required to utilize thispower at high speed. The same principle applies to only two engines, butuse of three engines allows the two outboard engines to be shut downwhile deploying boom unless needed. This effectively loads the centerengine, allowing a lower slow speed while leaving plenty of power formaneuvering. Due to its location directly ahead of the rudder, thisengine steers the boat better. Another advantage of using three enginesis, of course, an increase in dependability of the boat; effectively,two "backup" engines are present, allowing the boat to continue its taskeven in the event of double engine failure.

Referring again to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a carrier vessel 400 is illustratedwith a tender vessel 402 mounted on its afterdeck atop a hatch cover 407which covers the carrier's hold. According to the present invention, thetender 402 is advantageously capable of being mounted and dismountedfrom the carrier's afterdeck with the assistance of hydraulic crane 410.Upon arrival at the oil spill, a section of transom 602 (FIGS. 6A and6B) on the aft end of the carrier is taken out. Flanged rollers 604 and606 allow the tender vessel to roll backward off the deck of thecarrier, the tender keel resting in a 31/2×6 inch aluminum channel andon roller 606. In unloading the tender, the inner section 610 of crane410 is brought to its most vertical position, and the crane's outersection 612 is positioned over the forward end of tender. A winch cableis connected to a ring on the forward deck of the tender. A snub line isconnected to the bow of the tender via a small winch located on theinner section of the crane. The bow of the tender is lifted just enoughto transfer weight from the channel to the flanged roller 606. Thetender starts to roll back but is held by the snub line and supported bythe winch cable and adjustable rollers located adjacent to roller 606.As the tender rolls back, a balance point is reached where it can beguided onto roller 604, allowing it to roll into the water. Once thetender's stern is afloat, the winch cable keeps the tender upright. Themotor, a worm gear coupled to the motor, the cable, and sheaves forguiding the cable by the end of the crane are described below, withspecial reference to FIGS. 10A and 8B.

In this manner, the tender may be fully prepared for its duties indeploying the boom as it is unwound from the reels in the hold of thecarrier vessel. For example, the towing posts (to be described below)may be deployed on the side of the tender vessel after it is placed inthe water.

To retrieve the tender and place it aboard the carrier deck issubstantially the same operation, but in reverse order.

A control station 620 is provided to allow a single person to controlthe various functions of the crane and A-frame. The control stations'slocation forward of the hold allows an operator a clear view of theoperations of the crane and A-frame. These functions will be describedin greater detail below. For example, brake 944 (FIG. 9A), motor 915,and the hydraulic motor for gear box 990 are all advantageouslycontrolled at this central location.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are side and top views, respectively, of a preferredembodiment of the tender vessel according to the present invention.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate fore and aft reels 702, 704 in the hold ofthe tender. Reels 702 and 704 are mounted in the hold of the tender bymeans of reel mounts 706/708 and 710/712, respectively. Reel mounts 706,708, 710, 712 are inserted in reel bearing anchors 714, 716,respectively. The bearing mounts and the reel bearing anchors aredescribed in greater detail below, with respect to FIGS. 11A, 11B, and11C.

Tender 402 is provided with a tender A-frame 432 used to deploy reels ofboom. The A-frame is tilted forward slightly to position rollers 722 and724 ahead of the rudder to make it easier to steer the boat.

Tender A-frame 432 has two vertical members 718, 720. These supportmembers may be 3.5×10 inch aluminum channels laterally supported bybrace members 719, 721, respectively. Traversing the lateral distancebetween the vertical members are lower roller 722 and upper roller 724.Rollers 722 and 724 are horizontally oriented rollers whose axespenetrate vertical members 718, 720. The rollers may be 5-inch schedule40 pipe covered with neoprene.

Pulley support arms 726, 728 project outwardly from vertical members718, 720, respectively. The pulley support arms each support a pulley732 on which is wound a cable 730. Hanging downward from pulley 732,cable 730 supports swing arm alignment member 734 along with a secondswing arm alignment member (not visible behind 734 in FIG. 7A). Lowerswing arm 736 and upper swing arm 738 extend from the swing armalignment member 734 to respective vertical support members 718, 720.The two ends of each swing arm are rotatably attached at one end to thevertical support members, and to the swing arm alignment members at theother end.

Squeeze rollers 740, 742 extend between the opposite swing arm alignmentmembers, and are axially attached thereto to allow free rotation.

In operation, the degree to which cable 730 allows swing arm alignmentmember 734 to move substantially downwardly under the force of gravity(guided by the rotating swing arms 736, 738), determines how closelysqueeze rollers 740, 742 approach lower and upper rollers 722, 724. Thisarrangement allows a length of boom to be deployed from one or both ofreels 702, 704 over upper and/or lower rollers 722 or 724. The purposeof allowing squeeze rollers 740, 742 to compress the boom as it isdeployed is to stop the air from flowing into the un-deployed ends ofthe boom chambers while the valves are being inserted; in contrast tothe carrier, the envisioned tender does not have the required height toallow the weight of the boom to accomplish this.

Use of two rollers 722, 724 is desired for simultaneous deployment oftwo boom sections in, for example, an oil spill splitting scenario. Whenthe tender is making a split one boom length long, it uses its own tworeels instead of those from the carrier. The tender generally onlydeploys boom sections, and does not retrieve them as efficiently as theillustrated carrier vessel.

In certain circumstances, the tender may need to deploy a boom section;usually, this need arises in shallow water where the carrier cannot go.The tender's deployment of boom sections is valuable near rocky shores,or beaches where the oil has reached the shore. For example, at hightide, a light weight hose is run out ahead to the shore or in a flatbottomed boat; with a high volume of low pressure air from a centrifugalblower, the oil is moved out away from shore so the tender can getinside of it, deploying a boom between the spill and shore. The boomcontaining the spill is then moved to deep water and anchored. Theblower for inflating the boom sections under these conditions may be ina small boat or raft.

Returning to discussion of FIG. 7A, the free end of cable 730 mayadvantageously be attached to a towing post holder 754 which holds atowing post 750. In practice, two lines 730 may be used, one extendingfrom each alignment member to the same towing post holder. The towingpost holder 754 has cross-members 756, 758 to provide stability. Theholder is mounted on a towing post bracket 751 which is bolted to thetender's washboard 752.

Towing post 750 is a substantially rectangular sheet of metal, with itslonger dimension oriented vertically. It is advantageously bolted to thewashboards 752 of the tender via the holder 754 and bracket 751; pluralholes may be provided to allow the towing post to be verticallyadjustable. Vertical adjustability is needed, for example, to allowattachment to boats of different sizes. Posts are lifted up to hook themto the boom sections, and lowered to tow them through the water.

A plurality of holes 760 are provided near the bottom of aft edge of thetowing post. The holes are for receiving a corresponding plurality ofcables which may in turn be attached to the fastening means 114 (FIG.1B) of the cable section.

Although only one towing post 750 is illustrated as attached, it isunderstood that a second towing post may also be attached, on theopposite side of the tender. Attachment of two towing posts isadvantageous in the event that two booms must be deployed, such as inthe oil spill splitting scenario illustrated in FIG. 5.

Advantageously, these holders may be bolted to the washboard of anylobster-type boat. Several boats may be used when towing areas of boombecause they keep the boom stretched to its full size. The towing post'smain function is to tow without lifting the boom.

Stability is provided the towing posts by a cable 762 which extendsforwardly and upwardly via a turnbuckle 763 to forward towing postbracket 764. Bracket 764 is connected through one or more belts such as766 (e.g., 0.5×6 inch) which conform to the side of the boat, finally toan aluminum channel 768 (e.g., 3.5×6 inch) shaped to fit the tender'skeel. Channel 768 is connected via a nylon strap 770 to an aluminumpiece (e.g., 1/4-inch) shaped to fit the stem piece 772 on the tender'sbow. This assembly is flexible so the splitter can sit flat when stored.

A forward towing post 774 is attached to forward towing post bracket764. Forward towing post 774 is used for towing side booms 540, 542(FIG. 5), and may be vertically adjustable in the same manner as towingpost 750.

Also illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B is the detailed structure ofsplitter 538. Splitter 538 includes a sponson 780. Sponson 780 is on theback side of a rolled V-shaped blade, the sponson having arms of a "V"which are substantially triangular in cross section, occupyingapproximately one-third of the vertical height of the back of the blade.The sponson itself is (when viewed from above) a V-shaped air chamberthat gives the splitter positive buoyancy. The main advantage ofsponsons is flotation; but due to their shape and location on the backsides of the splitter blades, less drag is created as the splitter ispushed through the water.

The blades of the splitter are essentially V-shaped and oriented like asnow plow, having concave aluminum outer faces of (for example) 13-inchradius and 3/16-inch thickness. The forward end of the blades are weldedto a flat 5/16 inch thick center cutting edge 782. The cutting edge hasa sharpened front edge for splitting the water as the vessel movesforward. Cutting edge 782 is preferably a metal piece (e.g., aluminum)which enables the splitter to work in heavy crude and bunker type oil,especially in winter. The sponson and tread plate may be 3/16-inchaluminum.

A holder mechanism (not shown) may be provided which allows the sponsonto be attached to the forward towing post.

Straps 766 are 0.5"×6" conveyor belting with end pieces riveted to theirends, to which the chain is connected. Bottom chains extend downwardfrom the belting and are shackled to channel 768, and top chains extendupward to the forward towing post bracket 764.

Forward and aft aluminum T's 784 are riveted to each strap, with thecross of each "T" contacting a belting and the stem of the "T" extendingoutward in an outboard direction. A piece welded low on the sponson islined up with the after "T". Between the sponson piece and the after "T"is a mating piece of aluminum flat bar with slots on each end foradjustable attachment of the tender and splitter. Similarly, a matingpiece is welded higher on the splitter blade than on the sponson, alsowith an adjustable connecting bar for connecting the blade to theforward T. The aft strap's "T" is located at a higher position on thestrap than is the forward strap's "T". This relative placementarrangement provides a bracing effect. These adjustable connectors arefitted to the tender while it is out of the water so no adjustment willbe necessary when it is used.

In this manner, one of the straps connects the sponson to the boat; theother connects the splitter blade to the boat. The splitter is alsoconnected to the boat in front of the stem piece 772, in the followingmanner. A vertical planar stem piece extension 787 extends forward fromthe stem piece 772 at approximately water level. It is bolted at point786 to a vertical planar splitter stabilizing piece 785 which extendsrearwardly from the inner corner of the splitter blade's "V". Such abolt allows a slight pivoting of the splitter for positioning duringinstallation, before it is tightened.

The lower end of the forward towing post 774 may be attached in thefollowing manner. A hinged latch is provided on the sponson to hold thebottom of the forward towing post snugly against it. The hinged latchincludes a substantially horizontally oriented lower "U" shaped pieceand an elongated upper piece. The "U" is part of a 3/8-inch plate weldedto the bottom of the sponson. The upper piece is an elongated memberpivoting on a 0.5-inch pivot bolt penetrating its first end and thefirst leg of the "U" near its tip. The upper piece may be manuallyrotated away from the "U" to allow the towing post to be placed insidethe "U". The upper piece is then rotated back so that its second endjoins the tip of the second leg of the "U" to bridge the interior of the"U", securing the towing post. A 0.5-inch vertical pin is placed fromabove through matching holes in the second end of the upper piece andthe second leg of the "U", holding the latch in the closed position.This arrangement for securing the towing post to the sponson isadvantageous because it allows boom sections to be attached to thetowing post before it is placed into position. Three lower holes of thetowing post are below where it is latched, otherwise making it difficultto attach boom sections to the towing post after it is in position.

Atop the splitter assembly, a handrail 778 is provided for safety toallow men to stand on a tread plate 776 to make boom connections.

To attach the splitter to the tender, the carrier puts the splitter overthe side with the crane. The forward end of the splitter floats lower,with aft end slightly higher, than when attached to the tender. When thetender enters into the splitter's "V", it is pushed down so the keel canenter the channel 768; then, the forward end of the splitter is liftedand placed over the stem of the tender. Chains are then connected to thetowing post brackets 764 and tightened with binders. The straps andhangers are slanted back to make it more secure; this is especiallydesirable when the tender is moving backward. The splitter isadvantageously fitted to the tender before use so that no adjustment isnecessary in the water.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are respective cutaway side and top views, respectively,of the hold of the carrier vessel 400 according to a preferredembodiment. Hold 406 contains twenty reels 801-820. Each reel is adaptedto hold a 500-foot long boom section. Advantageously, the axes of thereels are oriented transversely in the carrier's hold, allowing the boomsections to be unwound toward A-frame 416.

In the illustrated embodiment, the axes of reels 801, 806, 811, and 816are arranged in a linear fashion so as to form an aft row of reels.Similarly, the axes of reel 802, 807, 812, and 817 are arranged linearlywith one another, and parallel to the axes of reels 801, 806, 811 and816. Reels 803, 808, 813, 818; 804, 809, 814, 819; and 805, 810, 815,820 are similarly arranged. In this manner, a compact but readilyaccessible array of boom section reels is available for deployment. Inthe illustrated embodiment, twenty reels, each containing a 500foot-length of boom section, provides 10,000 feet (or nearly 2 miles) ofboom. If arranged in a circle, this length of boom would surround anarea of approximately 0.285 square miles.

A carrier having 10,000 feet of boom would be capable of containing anestimated 11,625,000 gallons of oil if the spill is three inches thick.However, if this spill is not immediately contained, and were allowed tospread to a thickness of only 0.125", it would cover an area of about5.5 square miles. Furthermore, a heavy layer of oil reduces wave actionoffering less wind resistance on the surface, thereby making it easierfor the water to flow underneath the boom due to the natural tendencyfor undisturbed water and oil not to mix. Also, less flotsam would bepresent in the oil if contained earlier, which would make it easier forskimmers to pick up the oil; use might be made of the spilled oil ratherthan simply incinerating it.

Clearly, these figures indicate the advantage of rapidly containing anoil spill. The present system is designed to prevent spread of an oilspill by arriving on site quickly with a self-contained unit capable ofquickly deploying a substantial length of oil boom with a minimum ofmanual labor.

Referring now to FIG. 8C, a typical reel 800 is illustrated incross-section. The reel includes a shaft 830 which extends laterallythrough two end disks 832, 834. A drum 836 is securely affixed to theshaft 830 and the disks 832, 834 by inner disks 838, 840. Thisarrangement provides a hollow inner space within drum 836 which is notoccupied by shaft 830; this space is provided for the end of a boomsection which is wound around it. A center disk 839 is also provided tofit the bottom half of shaft 830. The center disk is shaped to match aslot 842 on the drum. This center disk 839 provides stiff supportbetween shaft 830 and drum 836.

Drum 836 is provided with a longitudinal slot 842 occupyingapproximately 53-54 circumferential degrees. The slot runs lengthwise onthe drum, and may be 4.75 inches wide and 2 feet, 10 inches long. Theslot's edges are rounded with a 0.375 radius to prevent damage to theboom material. The preferred drum is 42 inches long, approximately 6inches more than the width of the boom when flattened out. This extrawidth is provided so that there is room to alternate the boom sectionback and forth along the drum while rewinding, to prevent the boom'slead line from piling up in one place. This feature is accomplished bymovement of a traveler drum 970 FIG. 9A (below).

The disks 832, 834 are provided with rims 844, 846 at their respectiveperipheries. Disks 832 and 834 are substantially circular disks ofthickness 0.25 inches. Rims 844, 846 are 3/4-inch round aluminum rodrolled in a circle and welded to the periphery of the disks 832, 834.They provide a widened surface area at the periphery of the respectivedisks for a drive wheel 848 on the hydraulic crane 410 to turn the reel.The drive wheel 848 contacts either rim, allowing rotational force to beapplied to the reel.

In addition to providing a surface area of the wheel 848, the rims 844,846 may also serve as a secure gripping area for self locking clampsthat are fastened to a spreader bar used to lift loaded reels of boom.Such clamps are spring-loaded, and are snapped down over the rims; whenstrain is taken, they lock over the edges with a scissor action.

Reels 800 may be fabricated of the following components and sizes. Drum836 may be 6351-T6 aluminum schedule 40 pipe with outside diameter 10.75inches, and wall thickness 0.365 inches. Disks 832, 834 may be 6061-T651aluminum with 0.25-inch thickness and 39-inch diameter. Inner disks maybe 6061-T651 aluminum, 0.375 inch thick with a 10.02-inch diameter. Rims844, 846 may be 6061-T6 aluminum rods with 0.75-inch diameter. Shaft 830may be 6351-T6 aluminum schedule 80, 2.5-inch pipe with an outsidediameter of 2.875 inches and a wall thickness 0.276 inch.

The boom sections are stored on reels in the following manner.

Referring briefly to FIG. 1B, it is assumed that the end of the boomsection having third and forth valve assemblies 162, 164 is placed onthe reel first. To allow the boom section to fit snugly and smoothly onthe drum 836 (FIG. 8C), third and forth valve assemblies 162, 164 areremoved before winding the boom section onto it. The end of the boomsection is inserted into slot 842 in the drum 836 to a length at leastexceeding that defined by end cover 252 (FIG. 2D) to prevent damage toit. Then, the remaining length of the boom section is snugly woundaround the drum 836, with rotational force advantageously applied bydrive wheel 848 against rims 844, 846. As the boom section is almostcompletely wound around the reel drum, first and second valve assemblies158, 160 need not be removed. These remaining valve assemblies may beleft affixed to the boom section, to allow the boom to be deployed againas rapidly as possible.

Deployment of a boom may be performed as follows.

First, one of the twenty reels 801-820 containing boom sections ischosen from the carrier hold (FIGS. 8A, 8B) as a "first" boom section. Afirst end of the first boom section (presumably having valve assembliesinstalled) is lifted (e.g., manually) over lower roller 414 on A-frame416. The first end of the boom section is handed to crew members on thetender who immediately connect air hoses from a blower. This blower isadvantageously equipped with a dumping valve or waste gate so thatinflation can be controlled. The boom is tied with just one line to thetender or held manually for this operation to save time. A polyball andanchor (FIG. 5) are attached to the first end of the first boom sectionin this time frame.

The previous description shows a "normal" method of deployment,envisioned for use in deep water in which the carrier vessel can movefreely. In cases of shoal water deployment where connecting tubes areused between consecutive boom sections, the boom is towed by the towingpost; anchors are not set until the boom is in location.

Returning to discussion of the "normal" mode of deployment, one of thetwo vessels (preferably the carrier vessel) moves away from the other.The reel containing the first boom section is caused to unwind by therelative motion of the two vessels. As the end of unwinding the 500-footboom section nears completion, the moving vessel stops its motion withrespect to the other. At this time, the second end of the first boomsection is removed from the slot 842 in the reel's drum 836. Third andfourth valve assemblies may be inserted into the openings provided forthem in the end cover of the boom section. At this time, the tender crewdisconnects the air hoses, and uses neoprene caps 161 (FIG. 1C) to coverthe valve assemblies if weather dictates.

In a preferred boom section, the inflatable chambers may receive valveassemblies at both their first and second ends, allowing inflation fromeither the carrier or tender. It also allows serial connection of theinflatable chamber of successively deployed boom sections so that morethan one boom section can be inflated at a time. Attachment andinflation of successive boom sections is now described.

A second reel containing a second boom section is chosen from thoseremaining in the hold. A first fastening means 114 (FIG. 1B) of thesecond boom section is attached to the second fastening means 116 of thefirst boom section. Also, a spacer float 190 (FIG. 1C) is attached tothe fastening means by a ring 192 (also in FIG. 1C). A seal 226 isattached to the second end of the first boom section and to the firstend of the second boom section, thereby providing a fluid-tight seal toat least the depth of oil expected and over the top of the boom section.

The second end of the first boom section and the first end of the secondboom section to which it is connected, are lifted over the first roller414. In a manner similar to deployment of the first section, one of thetwo vessels travels away from the other, causing the second reel tounwind its boom section.

In this manner, boom sections are successively attached end-to-end, todeploy a boom of substantial length in a very short period of time.

As will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it isdesired that the boom section not sink as it is being deployed. To thisend, a blower is provided on the tender vessel to partially inflate theboom section during the deployment process; another blower may bepresent on the carrier for inflating boom sections when being deployedfrom reels on the tender. Each boom section may be fully inflated afterit is fully deployed, as it is no longer on the reel.

The exact manner in which the succeeding boom sections are inflatedvaries according to whether a connecting tube such as element 188 (FIG.1C) is employed. If a connecting tube is not employed, then each sectionmay be inflated by the tender (or the carrier, or both) as soon as it isdeployed. Alternatively, if a connecting tube is employed betweensucceeding boom sections, then a plurality of succeeding boom sectionsmay be simultaneously inflated. After the plurality of boom sections aresimultaneously inflated, the connecting tube may be removed so that thechambers from succeeding boom sections become floatable independently ofone another. This independence allows a chamber in a single boom sectionto suffer deflation (for example, through leak or puncture) withoutother adjacent boom sections being affected. In this manner, the overallintegrity of the boom is preserved.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the unrolling of theboom sections from the reels occurs naturally, as a result of therelative motion of the carrier and the tender vessels. Thus, it is onlyat the times when one boom section needs to be attached to a succeedingboom section, that manual intervention is necessary. The hydraulic crane410 with its drive wheel 848 may be necessary to control the rate atwhich a reel unwinds. A slight tension is maintained in the boom tocontrol its rate of deployment, to prevent potentially damaging impulsesfrom damaging the flotation chambers or curtain.

The drive wheel 848 is lined up with and close to the rims of the reelin question, so that contact is easy if needed to slow the reel. Thecarrier stops while the valves are being inserted and connection to thenext section of boom is being made. Upon signal that the valves areproperly inserted, the tender crew brings the boom up to full pressureand releases the air hoses. The tender then runs ahead to the carrier tobe in position to begin deployment of a subsequent boom section from anext reel. The run from one end of the deployed boom section to theother takes about one minute.

Ordinarily, anchors are initially set every 500 feet. Any reinforcedsection of the boom which is at 50-foot intervals can be used foranchoring. By using nylon monofilament for a frame, the boom chambersand curtain are protected from the strain of towing and anchoring.

As described in greater detail below, upper roller 436 is provided toretrieve the boom section, presumably after the oil spill has beencontained. During the retrieval operation, hydraulic crane 410 and drivewheel 848 are used to provide rotational motion to the destination reel.Upper roller 436 is disposed approximately 13 feet above the water. Thisheight above the water allows the boom to be reeled in whilesimultaneously squeezing the air out of the boom's inflatable chambers.Squeezing the air out of the chambers is accomplished by the weight ofthe boom section as it hangs down to the water aft of the A-frame andthe weight of the boom section as it hangs down forward, toward thehold.

While the boom is being reeled back in, the tender crew keeps the valvesdepressed (in their open position) to allow air to escape from thechambers. The carrier preferably moves backward towards the boom forthis retrieval operation; with three propellers it has very goodsteerage ability while moving backward.

A minimum crew required for initial deployment of a boom would be aboutthree trained men, and two or three untrained assistants. The simplicityof the present system would make it easy to train additional personnel.

The trained personnel serve the functions of captain and two or threemates. They should be able to handle all functions on both the carrierand tender and understand after viewing the situation how to deploy theboom to keep the spill under control and as small as possible. Theyshould also be familiar with radar, loran and compass to enable them torun in fog and at night.

The untrained assistants serve the functions of handling the booms andconnecting them, inserting valves, placing valve seals, setting anchors,inflating booms and carrying out any other duties that would be expectedof a helper.

The present system is especially useful when members of the localfishing or marine community are needed to assist in containing an oilspill. The small number of trained personnel required allows these localfishermen or marine personnel to serve as the untrained assistants, asnecessary. Such individuals may also provide valuable assistance, due totheir greater knowledge of the locality and special problems innavigating boats in it.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate in forward-looking and starboard side views,respectively, a preferred embodiment of the carrier vessel's A-frame416. A-frame 416 has been illustrated and described briefly above withrespect to FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 8A, and 8B. Tender A-frame 432 (described withrespect to FIG. 7A) is in certain respects similar to carrier A-frame416: both tender rollers function in substantially the same manner asthe carrier's idler roller 912, except that a braking function isperformed by pipe welded to the swing-arms of the tender. Tender A-frame432 is well adapted only to deploy boom sections; however, carrierA-frame 416 provides for both deployment and retrieval of boom sections.

Referring again to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the carrier's A-frame has first andsecond vertical support members 902, 904, which are joined at their topends by a top member 906 by respective elbow members 908, 910. Topmember 906 comprises the non-parallel sides and the shorter of the twoparallel sides, of a regular trapezoid. A brace 903 joins each verticalsupport members to carrier's deck at an angle of approximately 45degrees, for added stability.

Several other elements extend between support members 902 and 904.

A lowermost of these elements is idler roller 912. Above idler roller912 and parallel to it is upper roller 914. Idler roller 912 and upperroller 914 are adapted to rotate about parallel axes having respectivefirst ends 916, 918 inserted into first vertical support 904 throughrespective flange block bearings 920, 922. Opposite ends of the axes ofidler roller 912 and upper roller 914 penetrate second vertical supportmember 902, through respective flange block bearings 924, 926.

As described above, with respect to FIG. 4, idler roller 912 is used fordeployment of boom sections from the hold of the carrier, whereas upperroller 914 is used for retrieving boom sections. The structure andoperation of each are now described in greater detail.

Referring specifically to the construction of idler roller 912, an idlerroller drum 928 extends between opposite disk-shaped ends 930, 932. Toprovide support for the drum extending between the support members 902,904, drum support structures are provided at each end of the drum. Adrum support structure at the left end of the drum will be described indetail, with the understanding that a similar structure is employed atthe opposite end.

Axis 934 extends from its end 916 in first vertical support member 904through flange block bearing 920 and disk 930, to penetrate the interiorof drum 928. Within drum 928 are provided two parallel, circular,co-axial inner rings 936, 938. Axis 934 projects through the center ofinner rings 936, 938. Inner ring 936 is immediately adjacent disk 930,whereas inner ring 938 is disposed a suitable distance away from it,such as 15% of the length of the drum 928. Advantageously, the distancespanned by axis 934 between disks 936 and 938 provides support to thecenter section of drum 928. Such reinforcement is needed to support thedrum, as it is designed to support lengths of oil boom sections as theyare being deployed. Inner rings 936, 938 fit snugly within the interiorof drum 928 and are plug welded: holes are drilled in the drum at theposition of the inner rings, and after they are pressed in place theholes are filled with weld, thus securing the rings. All the inner ringsin FIGS. 9A, 9B may be installed in this manner.

At the opposite end of idler roller 912 from axis 934 is a second axis940, which operates in conjunction with inner rings 942, 943 in a mannersimilar to that described with inner rings 936, 938. However, axis 940extends through bearing 924 and vertical support member 902 to a brake944. Brake 944 is provided to control the deployment of boom sections,as the normal mode of deploying boom sections is to allow the relativemotion of the carrier vessel and the tender vessel to pull the boomsection over the roller. Brake 944 allows stabilization of the boomsection for such manual operation as insertion and removal of valveassemblies, and connection of consecutively deployed boom sections.Brake 944 is preferably controlled from the control station 620 (FIG.6A).

Upper roller 914 is supported in a manner similar to idler roller 912.Specifically, axes projecting from vertical support members 902, 904 viaflange block bearings penetrate the interior of upper roller 914, theaxes penetrating the center of respective pairs of inner rings spaced toprovide support for the drum. Upper roller 914 rotates under control ofa chain and sprocket, powered by hydraulic motor 915 which is attachedto vertical support member 902. The chain and sprocket drive includes afirst chain sprocket 917 attached to a shaft of the hydraulic motor 915,and a second chain sprocket 919 attached near the end of the shaft ofupper roller 914. Motor 915 is preferably controlled from the controlstation 620 (FIG. 6A).

To assist in the retrieval of boom sections, and to assist in theguidance of retrieved boom sections for snug rewinding onto reels, atraveler assembly, generally indicated as element 960, is provided.Briefly, traveler assembly 960 is controlled to slide along a carrierrod 962, which extends horizontally between vertical support members,902, 904 at a position above upper roller 914. Traveler assembly 960includes a cylinder 964 with chain grip 996, traveler yoke members 966,968, and yoke side braces 976, 978, 980, 982. The traveller assembly'syoke moves a drum 970 with outer disks 972, 974 longitudinally alongupper roller 914. These elements are now described in greater detail.

Traveler assembly 960 includes a horizontally oriented hollow cylinder964. Rod 962 extends between vertical support members 902, 904, and isadapted to fit loosely in the cylinder's hollow interior. Extendingdownward from near the two ends of cylinder 964 are the traveler yokemembers 966, 968. Yoke members 966, 968 extend perpendicular to thecylinder's axis to contact respective 0.5-inch Teflon thrust washers967, 969; the thrust washers are disposed between the yoke members andthe outer disks 972, 974 to act as bearings between the disks and yokemembers. As the traveler assembly moves longitudinally, the yoke memberscontact the thrust washers 967, 969, which in turn contact the drum'souter disks 972, 974, causing the drum 970 to move longitudinally.

Even as drum 970 moves longitudinally, it may rotate about its axis.Upper roller 914 has 3/8×3/4 inch keys (projections) welded 180° apartwhich are received by keyways (slots) machined into the inner surfaceaxial openings of end disks 972, 974. This key arrangement makes drum970 rotate with upper roller 914.

Each of end disks 972, 974 have inner and outer shoulders (not visiblein FIG. 9A). These shoulders are essentially disks of smaller diameterwhich are concentrically arranged with the large-diameter center portionof the disks 972, 974; the thickness and diameter of these shoulders arechosen as follows.

On the inner surfaces of traveler end disks 972, 974 are 2-inch-thickinner shoulders which are machined to fit loosely over upper roller 914and its projecting keys. The drum can be moved the length of roller 914but has to rotate with it, due to the interlocking action of keys andkeyways. Inner shoulders provide an additional thickness to the disks sothat the keyways are longer, longitudinally; this thickness causes thekeyways to deform or wear away less.

The outer shoulders on the end disks fit within the inner diameter ofthe thrust washers 967, 969 to keep them centered. The optimal thicknessof the outer shoulder, 0.375 inch, is chosen to be less than the0.5-inch thickness of the teflon thrust washers; the outer shoulder doesnot contact yoke members 966, 968.

As illustrated most clearly in FIG. 9B, yoke members 966, 968 areessentially rounded triangular forms, fork-like in shape with prongspointed downward and surrounding upper roller 914. The yoke memberscontain between them the drum 970, drum end disks 972, 974, and thrustwashers 967, 969. The yoke members do not rest on any portion of thedrum or upper roller; rather, they are supported by rod 962 via cylinder964 to enclose the drum 970 outside its outer disks 972, 974 and thrustwashers 967, 969, contacting only the thrust washers.

Referring again to the traveller assembly 960, yoke members 966, 968 arereinforced by inner yoke braces 976, 978. Inner yoke braces 976, 978have flat metal portions oriented perpendicular to the yoke members 966,968 and parallel to the longitudinal direction of cylinder 964, andconnected thereto at the lower surface thereof. Inner yoke braces 976,978 are supplemented by outer yoke braces 980, 982 which are planarextensions of respective yoke inner side braces 976, 978 on oppositesides of respective yoke members 966, 968.

The position and motion of the traveler assembly 960 is determined by agear box 990 operating with a sprocket 992, having teeth which engage anendless chain 994. Chain 994 extends from the sprocket 992 down to thechain grip 996 attached to the top surface of traveler assembly 964.From the chain grip 996, the chain 994 extends to a sprocket idler 998mounted on a bracket affixed to first vertical support member 904. Fromsprocket idler 998, chain 994 extends horizontally back to sprocket 992to constitute the endless chain.

In operation, a hydraulic motor (not pictured) working through gear box990 causes sprocket 992 to rotate, thereby causing chain 994 to displacethe traveler assembly 960 by virtue of the chain's fixed connection tothe traveler assembly at chain grip 996. The hydraulic motor for gearbox 990 is preferably controlled from the control station 620 (FIG. 6A).

Traveler drum 970 is hollow, allowing it to slide longitudinally alongupper roller 914 to a position determined by the position of travelerassembly 960. In this manner, rotation of sprocket 992 may positiontraveler assembly 960 and drum 970 at any point along carrier rod 962.In practice, the position of the traveler assembly 960 is chosen to bedirectly behind a reel in the hold of the carrier (see FIGS. 8A and 8B),thus allowing there to be no twist in the boom section as it is rewoundback onto the reel. Roller 970 and motor 915 do more than half of thework during boom retrieval, with drive wheel on the crane doing therest.

Lower roller 912 is an idler roller, meaning that the boom's motion overit causes it to rotate. The brake 944 holds the boom in place atop thelower roller while valves are being put in, or any other time thedeployment process should be delayed. Upper roller 914 does not need abrake because it is driven by the hydraulic motor 915: designed so thatit cannot be rotated in neutral, the motor acts as a brake when notbeing rotated by hydraulic pressure.

Affirmative rotation of the traveler drum supplies most of the forceduring boom retrieval, with the crane drive wheel keeping the rightamount of tension for smoothly winding of the boom without making it tootight. Each successive turn the traveler drum passes a constant lengthof boom per revolution; this means that either the drive wheel has tokeep slowing down or the traveler speed has to increase as retrieval ofa boom section progresses. Advantageously, separate hydraulic controlson both the traveller drum and the crane's drive wheel provide theoperator with total control of the retrieval process.

Specific construction of the components on the A-frame 416 may be asfollows.

Vertical support members 902, 904, top member 906, and elbows 908, 910may be constructed of 3.5×10 inch aluminum channel, formed in the shapeof a "C" for added strength with minimal weight. The idler roller 912may be made of 0.125-inch neoprene bonded to 8-inch schedule 80 aluminumpipe. The shafts such as 934 may be 2.5-inch stainless steel, and theinner ring such as 936, 938, may be manufactured of 2-inch thickaluminum. Brake 944 may be a drum or disk-type brake, such as modelnumber T20 (disc type), from Hilliard Corp. of 100 West Fourth Street,Elmira, N.Y. 14901.

Upper roller 914 may be constructed in a manner similar to idler roller912, except that it is not neoprene covered and it has longitudinal keyswelded to either side. Drum assembly 970, 972, 974 may be constructed of6351-T6 aluminum. The drum assembly's shaft is 2.5 inch stainless steelkeyed to its inner rings. The inner rings may be 2 inches thick, andplug welded to upper roller 914 in a manner described above, withrespect to inner rings 936, 938. Upper roller 914 may be 4.5 inchschedule 80 pipe. Drum 970 may itself be 10-inch schedule 40 aluminumwhich is welded to 0.25 inch thick, 17 inch diameter end disks 972, 974;the outer surface of the drum is advantageously bonded with 0.125 inchneoprene, to enhance the gripping ability of the drum on the boomsections. The outer shoulder is 0.375 inch thick, 5 inch insidediameter, 7 inch outside diameter ring; the inner shoulder has the samediameter but 2 inch thickness. The teflon thrust washers have 7 inchinside diameters and 10 inch outside diameters. It is understood thatthese dimensions are rounded, and that appropriate clearances may bechosen by those skilled in the art.

The cylinder, side braces, and yoke members of the traveler assembly maybe constructed of 6351-T6 aluminum.

Carrier rod 962 may be 2.5-inch schedule 80 pipe, with the cylinder 964of the traveler assembly being 3-inch schedule 80.

The disks 930, 932 of the idler roller may have an 8.5-inch radius, withthe idler roller itself being 8 inch schedule 80 pipe with bonded .125neoprene. All this pipe may be 6351-T6 aluminum.

Flange block bearings 920, 922, 924, 926 may be chosen to be a BrowningFB 350 flange block bearings available from Stultz Fluid PowerWestbrook, Maine, or equivalent.

Gear box 990 may be a Browning worm gear number 26241-10E, and chain 994may be a #50 chain. Chain sprocket 992 may be a 3.58 pitch diametersprocket. Suitable hydraulic motors for controlling the gear box, andfor controlling the upper roller, are Char-Lynn 2000 Series motors fromStultz Fluid Power of Westbrook, Maine.

The idler roller 912 is located 8.5 feet above the deck of the carriervessel, and approximately 11 feet above water level W. The upper roller914 is located one foot, 10.5 inches above the idler roller 912. Thecarrier rod 962 is located one foot, 11.3125 inches above the upperroller 914, providing enough room for the spacer float to go between theupper and lower rollers. The inner distance between first and secondvertical support members 902, 904 is 17 feet 7 inches. Top member 906may advantageously be in the form of the top three sides of a regulartrapezoid, with the inner height of the trapezoid being 2 feet, 8.5inches, and the vertical downward projection of the non-parallel sidesof the trapezoid being 4 feet, 8.75 inches.

FIG. 10A illustrates the hydraulic crane 410 useful in embodiments ofthe present invention. FIGS. 10B, 10C, and 10D illustrate side, top, andend views, in partial cutaway form, of a drive wheel assembly 1002 usedto control the rotation of various reels in the hold of the carriervessel. Certain elements (such as cylinders) are purposely omitted fromFIG. 10B for purposes of clarity. FIG. 10E illustrates a tandemhydraulic cylinder arrangement which may be used to control the swivelof the crane.

FIG. 10A is a side view of the hydraulic crane 410 according to apreferred embodiment. As briefly described above, with respect to FIG.6A, the crane may be a knuckle-type hydraulic crane 410 which comprisesinner section 610 and outer section 612.

The position of inner section 610 is controlled by an inner sectionhydraulic cylinder assembly including cylinder 1004. Hydraulic cylinder1004 is connected to a rod 1006 which terminates at a pivot 1008. Theopposite end of the inner section hydraulic cylinder assembly isconnected to the crane's inner section 610 at a cylinder pivot 1010. Thelower pivot 1008 is connected to a swivel arrangement 1014 on the deckof the carrier vessel. The inner section 610 is provided with a mainpivot 1012 which is also connected to the swivel arrangement 1014.Throughout FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D and 10E, hydraulic lines andassociated control mechanisms are not shown for purposes of graphicclarity, but may be designed in accordance with considerations known tothose skilled in the art.

In operation, the crane's inner section pivots about main pivot 1012 byhydraulically controlled movement of hydraulic cylinder 1004 along rod1006. Inner section 610 pivots about main pivot 1012 in an arc 1016. Asinner section hydraulic 1004 is moved downward on rod 1006, the craneinner section 610 moves downward and aft, in the direction of the hold406 containing the reels of boom sections. Conversely, as the hydrauliccylinder 1004 moves upward along rod 1006, the crane's inner section 610moves upward and forward, away from the carrier's hold 406. Innersection hydraulic cylinder 1004 may advantageously be a PMC21036 (5×36inch) hydraulic cylinder.

The crane's outer section 612 is controlled in a similar manner. Anouter section hydraulic cylinder 1018 is connected to a rod 1020 whichterminates in a top pivot 1022 which is at the upper end of crane innersection 610. A center pivot 1024 is provided at the lower end of thehydraulic cylinder assembly which includes cylinder 1018. The centerpivot 1024 is provided at an extreme outer end of a connecting arm 1028whose other end is securely affixed (for example, by welding) to a pointjust above the center of crane outer section 612. Crane outer section612 pivots about the main pivot 1030 which is located approximately 10percent of the way down crane inner section 610.

In operation, outer section hydraulic cylinder 1018 moves up and downrod 1020 to thereby control the angular orientation of outer section 612along an arc 1032. As the cylinder 1018 moves up rod 1020, outer section612 pivots upward about main pivot 1030, as connecting arm 1028 pullsthe outer section's mass upward. Similarly, as cylinder 1018 movesdownward on rod 1020, the crane's outer section 612 moves downward,closer to the reels in the carrier's hold 406. Outer section hydrauliccylinder 1018 may advantageously be a King SAE 9530 (5×30 inch)cylinder, whose control and operation lie within the ability of thoseskilled in the art.

The swivel arrangement 1014 allows the entire crane 410 to swivel abouta substantially vertical axis, thereby allowing the crane to point atany reel in the carrier's deck. The swivel arrangement 1014 may bedesigned in accordance with principals known to those skilled in theart. Briefly, however, the swivel arrangement may comprise a circularbase fixed to the deck, a vertically oriented axial rod penetrating thecenter of the base, and a cylindrically shaped moving member whichsurrounds and rotates about the axial. The cylindrically shaped movingmember receives rod 1006 at pivot 1008, and crane inner section 1016 atmain pivot 1012.

A Prentice base or one of similar construction may be used. See, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,786 (Honeycutt), incorporated herein byreference. The Prentice base may be used, with a possible adaption oftandem hydraulic cylinders to provide turning force instead of ahydraulic motor with ring and pinion gears. The portion of thisadaptation related to the tandem hydraulic cylinders is shown in FIG.10E.

FIG. 10E is a top view of a preferred tandem cylinder arrangement, withthe top of the drawing pointing forward on the carrier. The arrangementmay advantageously be positioned on the underside of the deck of thecarrier, in an accessible compartment such as the engine room. Thearrangement includes a main tiller 1014A, and an idler tiller 1014Bcomprising arms 1014C and 1014D. A first hydraulic cylinder arrangementincluding piston 1014F and cylinder 1014G connects pin 1014E near theouter end of tiller 1014A and pin 1014H at the outer end of arm 1014D. Asecond hydraulic cylinder arrangement including piston 1014J andcylinder 1014K connects arm 1014C at pin 1014I to a stationery pin1014L. Main tiller 1014A rotates about a shaft aperture 1014M whilesupporting the crane base. Idler tiller 1014B rotates about a shaftaperture 1014N under control of hydraulic cylinder 1014K.

Preferably, a heavy tubing or pipe forming a stub shaft penetrates thecenter of aperture 1014M, and projects downwardly therethrough from theunderside of the deck. A Browning split taper bushing (not shown) withits narrow end projecting upward also penetrates and fits snugly withinaperture 1014M, and is compressed by the aperture's inner surface tograsp the stub shaft as it is forced upwardly through the aperture. Inthis manner, the shaft rotates with tiller A without slippage.Preferably, a Browning split taper bushing "W1" may be used, and isavailable from Browning Mfg. Division, Emerson Electric Co., Maysville,KY.

A stub shaft also projects downwardly through the center of aperture1014N in the idler tiller 1014B. A bronze bushing adapts the shaft tothe aperture, and is kept in place vertically by a thrust collarfunctioning as a heavy washer beneath the bushing.

Cylinder 1014G may be a King SAE-9310 (3.5×10 inch) cylinder; cylinder1014K may be a King SAE-9320A (3.5×20 inch) cylinder. The maximum strokedistance between the cylinder and forks surrounding pins 1014E and 1014Iare 10 inches and 20 inches, as illustrated by visible sections ofpiston rods 1014F and 1014J, respectively. The radial distance betweenpin 1014E and the center of aperture 1014M is 13.75 inches; the radialdistance between pins 1014H, 1014I and the center of aperture 1014N isalso 13.75 inches. Pin 1014I is offset 30.75 inches to the right, and2.75 inches down, from the center of aperture 1014M; pin 1014I isillustrated directly below the center of aperture 1014N. Pin 1014L islocated 27.75 inches to the right of a line including the center ofaperture 1014N and pin 1014I as illustrated in FIG. 10E, which shows thecylinder assemblies in their maximally extended positions. The hubdiameter of tiller 1014A is 5.5 inches to accommodate the Browning splittaper bushing; similarly, hub diameter of the idler tiller 1014B is 4.5inches to accommodate a bronze bushing as a bearing surface.

Reasons for adapting the Prentice base to include the tandem cylindersinclude the fact that the crane need not rotate a complete circle, andwould be stronger and better able to stand the side load and backlashpresent when the carrier was heeled over or rolling in a seaway. It issimple and easy to maintain in its position over the engine room forwardof the hold.

The reason for using two cylinders through an idler tiller is to achievethe 130° swing not possible with a single cylinder. The importantfeature of the preferred crane bases is the ability to support the loadand still allow it to turn.

In operation, hydraulic pressure may be supplied to the cylindersthrough a tee so they may work together or separately, the work beingshared, depending on the respective amount of leverage available to thetwo cylinder assemblies in the given configuration. The cylinderassembly that contributes more torque is the one whose rod centerline isfurthest from the center of rotation of its respective tiller.

Returning to discussion of FIG. 10A, those skilled in the art willreadily recognize that the positioning of the drive wheel assembly 1002may be accurately controlled by proper control of the swivel arrangement1014, inner hydraulic cylinder 1004, and outer section hydrauliccylinder 1018. By controlling the swivel arrangement 1014, an operatormay point the entire crane at a particular reel. By controlling innerhydraulic cylinder 1004, he generally positions the crane's innersection the proper distance from the swivel arrangement; the properdistance is determined by whichever reel is desired to be controlled bythe crane's drive wheel assembly 1002. The operator also controls outersection hydraulic cylinder 1018 to determine the height of the crane'souter section and the drive wheel assembly 1002 at its end.

As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the rotation of the crane410 about its swivel arrangement's axis causes the drive wheel assembly1002 to assume a slightly different angle for different reels positionedin different locations in the carrier's hold. To obtain greater controlof the rotation of individual reels, the orientation of the drive wheelin the drive wheel assembly 1002 is advantageously controlled to beparallel to the end disks of the reels. The drive wheel assembly 1002provides controllable positioning of the drive wheel 848 so that it doesnot slip off the edges of the disks as they rotate. The details of apreferred drive wheel assembly 1002 are now described in greater detail,with special reference to FIGS. 10B, 10C, and 10D.

FIGS. 10B, 10C, and 10D are respective side, top plan, and end views ofthe drive wheel assembly 1002. FIG. 10C most clearly illustrates thepivoting of the drive wheel 848 in the horizontal direction about an arc1088; FIG. 10D most clearly illustrates the pivoting of the drive wheelin a vertical arc 1094. FIG. 10C is a partially exploded top view, withthe drive wheel assembly shown removed from the crane's outer section612 for purposes of illustration.

A bracket 1046 is permanently affixed to the lower end of the crane'souter section 612. A vertical motion hydraulic cylinder assemblycomprising a vertical motion hydraulic cylinder 1048, rod 1050, fork1052, and second fork 1054 is operably connected to the bracket 1046 viaa clevis pin 1056. Bracket 1046 is the anchor and pivot for cylinder1048, and is permanently affixed to crane member 612 by welding. Clevispin 1056 penetrates fork 1054 so as to contain a ring-shaped extension1047 at the end of bracket 1046.

Fork 1052 is operably connected to tiller arm 1060 via a pin 1062 whichpenetrates both elements. A frame 1058 comprises major horizontal member1058A, a vertical member 1058B, and a minor horizontal member 1058C andthe bottom horizontal member 1058D. The tiller arm 1060 is fixed tovertical member 1058B, for example by welding.

A horizontal motion hydraulic cylinder assembly comprises a horizontalmotion hydraulic cylinder 1068, rod 1070, fork 1072, and second fork1074. Fork 1074 surrounds minor horizontal member 1058C, and both arepenetrated by pivot 1076 to allow the horizontal motion hydrauliccylinder assembly to rotate with respect to the horizontal member 1058C.Fork 1072 surrounds an end of a connecter arm 1080, with both beingpenetrated by pivot 1078 so that the horizontal motion hydrauliccylinder assembly may also rotate with respect to the connecter arm1080. Connecter arm 1080 is permanently affixed to a top plate 1082A,which is parallel to and permanently affixed to major horizontal member1058A. A substantially vertically oriented king pin 1086 penetrates topplate 1082A and 1058A and extends downward to penetrate a correspondingbottom plate 1058D and 1082B. Extending between the outer surfaces oftop and bottom plates 1082A, 1082B, is a side plate 1090. Side plate1090 is arranged substantially parallel to the drive wheel 848, and ispenetrated by an axle which connects the drive wheel to a motor 1096.Motor 1096 rotates and brakes drive wheel 848 and serves as an axle forthe wheel flange 1092, and is controlled form the main control station620, FIG. 6A.

A bolt 1044 penetrates a 0.75-inch plate on the end of boom 612 and a0.5-inch teflon thrust plate 1042, and then penetrates 1058B and isthreadably engaged by a flange nut 1066. A washer 1064 is seated betweenthe flange nut 1066 and the vertical member 1058B, with the verticalmember pressing against teflon plate 1042 on the crane's outer section612.

In operation, the drive wheel 848 is positioned as follows. Referringespecially to FIG. 10C, as the horizontal motion hydraulic cylinder 1068moves along rod 1070, the drive 848 pivots about king pin 1086 along anarc 1088. Rotation of the drive wheel and knuckle 1082A, 1082B, 1090,and motor 1096 is accomplished through the force of rod 1070 pressingagainst tiller arm 1080 via pivot 1078. Through the action of horizontalmotion hydraulic cylinder 1068, rod 1070 is controlled to position theconnecting arm so that the drive wheel is at the proper angle along arc1088. The particular angle along arc 1088 is determined in accordancewith whichever reel in the carrier's hold the drive wheel is to contact.In the preferred embodiment, the drive wheel may pivot in a horizontalplane approximately 70°. This range of angular orientation allows thedrive wheel to parallel the rims of any of the reels in the hold.

Referring now especially to FIG. 10D, the vertical tilt of the drivewheel is controlled through the action of vertical motion hydrauliccylinder 1048 along rod 1050. As rod 1050 is displaced further from thecylinder through the hydraulic action of the cylinder, tiller arm 1060rotates vertical frame member 1058B to rotate about bolt 1044; the wheelassembly rotates about bolt 1044. Drive wheel 848 is thus positioned ata given angle along arc 1094. Extending rod 1050 in a direction awayfrom the cylinder causes a downward tilt, whereas withdrawing rod 1050into cylinder 1048 causes an upward tilt of the drive wheel. The drivewheel may pivot in a vertical plane approximately 60°.

In the preferred embodiment, the hold is 17 feet 8 inches wide, 20 feet8 inches long, and the center of the swivel arrangement 1014 is locatedalong a longitudinal center line of the hold. A crane swivel capabilityof 130°, drive wheel pivot capability of 70°, and drive wheel tiltcapability of 60°, together allow the drive wheel to contact the rim ofany reel in the hold. The two forward outside reels require the mostangle on wheel 848. The inner rim of the outside reel is 5 feet out fromthe center and 5.5 feet aft the center of crane base. Of course,application of the rules of geometry as known to those skilled in theart will allow variations of the illustrated arrangement of reels,swivel capability, and drive wheel tilt and pivot capability.

Vertical tilting of wheel 848 allows it to contact the reel rims in anupright position. Washer 1064 and teflon thrust plate 1042 serve asbearing surfaces as 1058A rotates.

Vertical tilt of the drive wheel is highly desirable, although a drivewheel can be made to parallel any of the rims simply through controllingits pivoting angle in a horizontal plane (FIG. 10C). Drive wheel 848could contact the rims without the vertical tilt, but with it a moreprecise control is possible, especially when intermittent contact isrequired. Vertical tilt also allows contact in an upright positioninstead of an angle.

A worn gear 860 is powered by hydraulic motor 862 (FIG. 8B), both ofwhich are located on the outer arm 612 of the crane and are not visiblein FIG. 10A. The worm drive has a 30-to-1 reduction ratio, and iscoupled to the winch drum 1026 (FIG. 10A) around which is wound a cable.The motor and worm gear control cable 1037 as the cable wraps around theforward end of a first sheave 1036, thence downward and forward to wraparound sheave 1038 to hang down, the cable terminating in a clevisstructure 1039. The clevis structure is bolted to a spreader bar, andgrips reels to load and unload them from the hold. Sheave 1036 is themain sheave for the hydraulic winch cable. Sheave 1038 is an idler thatkeeps the cable clear of the end of boom 612 when it is in the mostdownward position. Sheaves 1036 and 1038 are provided with respectivesheave axes 1036A and 1038A (FIG. 10C).

This arrangement of the motor worm gear, cable, and sheaves is used toload and unload reels, to launch and haul the tender, and to performother lifting or pulling jobs. It may have about a 4000 lb. single linepull, and can be increased or decreased with a relief valve in theappropriate hydraulic feed line.

All hydraulic, steering and engine controls may advantageously becentralized in the control station 620 (FIG. 6A). One man could handledeployment of the booms; however, on retrieval it would be better tohave one man on steering and engine, and another on the hydraulics forextra control of the powered roller, traveler assembly and reel drive.

Advantageously, drive wheel assembly 1002 may be easily removed from thecrane. Clevis pin 1056 and flange nut 1066 are removed, freeing theassembly from the crane.

The components of the drive wheel assembly may be manufacture of thefollowing materials:

Elements 1046, 1058A, 1058B, 1058D, 1080, 1082A, 1082B and 1090 may beall either 0.5-inch or 0.625-inch 6061-T651 aluminum plate. Element1058C should be 1". Element 1047 may be built up to 1", as would 1060where penetrated by pins 1056, 1062 and 1078. Cylinders 1048 and 1068may be S.A.E. 7008 2.5"×8". Bolt 1044 may be stainless steel, and flangenut 1066 may be silicon bronze. Kingpin 1086 may be stainless steel. Themotor 1096 may be a Char-Lynn 2000 series wheel motor, 6.2 cu. in. Thecylinders and motor are available from Stultz Fluid Power, 401 RiversideStreet, Portland, Me. 04013. The thrust plate and washer are 0.5-inchTeflon. The wheel and tire 848 may be a 14 or 15" automobile type tire.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are front and side views, respectively, of thepreferred reel bearing mount 1102 and reel bearing anchor 1104 accordingto the present invention. FIG. 11C is a top plan view of a section ofthe reel bearing anchor 1104. These elements are found in the holds ofboth the carrier and tender vessels for holding reels of oil boomsections in a compact and easily loadable manner.

Referring now especially to FIGS. 11A and 11B, reel bearing mount 1102includes a square upper plate 1106 affixed to (or is an integrallyformed extension of) a tongue 1108. A flange block bearing 1110 isaffixed to the square upper plate 1106, and both are provided with acylindrical aperture 1112 for receiving the end of the axis of a reel.The bearing 1110 includes three attached plates 1114, 1116, and 1118.Plate 1114 is a substantially rectangular plate, having an area slightlysmaller than that of square upper plate 1106. Plate 1114 has near itsfour corners apertures 1120, 1122, 1124, and 1126 for receiving bolts toattach the bearing 1110 to the square upper plate 1106. Plates 1116 and1118 are progressively smaller disks, each centered about aperture 1112,with the larger disk 1116 being smaller than plate 1114 to allow boltsto be applied to apertures 1120, 1122, 1124, and 1126. Plates 1116 and1118 are outer and inner races, respectively, of this bearing,preferably a ball bearing.

The bottom portion of reel bearing mount 1102 is a tongue 1108. Tongue1108 is a planar member having four portions. The first portion isrigidly attached to, or is an integral continuation of, the bottom ofsquare upper plate 1106; the sides of first portion of tongue 1108 aredefined by upper, vertical parallel edges 1132, 1134. The second portionof tongue 1108 has upper converging edges 1136, 1138, which areextensions of upper parallel edges 1132, 1134. At the bottom end ofupper converging edges 1136, 1138, lower parallel edges 1140, 1142extend downward to define a third portion of tongue 1108. Finally, thefourth and bottom portion of tongue 1108 has a rounded "V" form, definedby lower converging edges 1144, 1146 which are continuations of lowerparallel edges 1140, 1142, respectively.

Tongue 1108 fits snugly within apertures in reel bearing anchor 1104,with square upper plate 1106 resting atop the reel bearing anchor 1104.

The reel bearing anchor 1104 will now be described in greater detail. Asillustrated most clearly in FIG. 11B, reel bearing anchor 1104 ispresented in cross-section as a squared "C" having anchor top surface1150 and anchor bottom surface 1152 joined by anchor side member 1154.The anchor top surface 1150, anchor side member 1154, and anchor bottomsurface 1152 define the three planar sides of the "C". On the side ofanchor side member 1154 opposite that from which anchor top and bottomsurfaces 1150, 1152 project, the reel bearing anchor 1104 is firmlyaffixed (e.g., by bolting) to some structure in the hold of either thecarrier vessel or the tender vessel.

As illustrated most clearly in FIG. 11A, reel bearing anchor 1104extends in the longitudinal direction of the hold of the vessel, andincludes an aperture set 1160 (FIG. 11C) for receiving tongues 1108 froma corresponding plurality of reel bearing mounts 1102. In theillustrated embodiment the aperture set 1160 comprises two apertures,defined by edges 1162 and 1164. Each of the apertures is a roundedrectangular opening with the longer dimension oriented longitudinally inthe anchor. Regular trapezoidal side extensions widen the roundedrectangles to facilitate initial insertion of the lower end of thetongue.

FIG. 11C illustrates the manner in which tongue 1108 fits into a typicalaperture set 1160 in the reel bearing anchor top and bottom surfaces1150, 1152. The first aperture's edge 1162 is formed in top surface1150, whereas the second aperture's edge 1164 is formed in bottomsurface 1152. The aperture formed by edge 1164 on anchor bottom surface1152 is smaller in area than the aperture defined by edge 1162 on anchortop surface 1150. The two edges thus form apertures defining a pathwaywhich converges in a downward direction. This size and shape of theapertures allow them to snugly receive the converging form of tongue1108.

In the illustrated embodiment, aperture set 1160 includes two apertures,formed as described above. However, reel bearing anchors may bemanufactured of more than two horizontal members, causing there to bemore then two apertures in the aperture set.

Referring again briefly to FIG. 7B, it is seen that only two reelbearing anchors 1104 are required for the tender vessel. The reelbearing anchors are affixed to opposite sides of the tender's hold, eachcontaining two aperture sets 1160 for receiving tongues from the tworeels 708, 712.

However, referring to the hold of the carrier vessel in FIG. 8B, it isseen that four pairs of reel bearing anchors 1104 are required, eachreel bearing anchor having five aperture sets 1160. Paired reel bearinganchors are located a distance apart from one another which allows fivereel assemblies to be placed between them, inserted into aperture setswhich are disposed opposite one another on the paired reel bearinganchors.

Reels such as the one shown in FIG. 8C are supported by reel bearingmounts 1102 at both ends of the reels' axes, forming reel assemblies. Anadvantage of the present invention is that reel assemblies with boomsections mounted on them are easily moved. For example, they are loadedand unloaded from the hold of either a carrier vessel or a tendervessel. A crane loads and removes the entire reel assembly, includingreel bearing mounts, into and from the holds. The force of gravitysecurely lodges the reel bearing mount tongues 1108 in the aperture sets1160 within the reel bearing anchors. No further adjustment or securingof the assemblies is necessary.

This advantage is of particularly importance when large oil spills areencountered. In such large oil spills, an oil boom must be quicklydeployed in lengths which are greater than the storage capacity of asingle carrier vessel. The size of the carrier vessel is advantageouslyoptimized to provide a combination of speed (for quick arrival at theoil spill) and oil containment capability (determined by the speed ofdeployment and the overall length of boom which can be deployed).However, when a single carrier may contain insufficient length of boomto contain an oil spill, and another carrier is not available at thegeographic location to contain the oil spill in conjunction with thefirst carrier, ease and speed of reloading the carrier becomesimportant.

The present invention allows a substantial length of oil boom to arrivequickly at a scene, where the oil boom may be quickly and easilydeployed. Assuming that additional oil boom length is required, thecarrier may quickly return to a wharf, dock, barge, or other vessel onwhich a greater supply of reel assemblies is stored. Empty reels areeasily removed by crane, simply by lifting the reel assemblies from thehold by lifting upward against the force of gravity. As the reelassemblies are lifted, tongues 1108 are lifted from aperture sets 1160,the aperture sets offering no resistance other than the frictionalengagement which secured them in place. Immediately thereafter, thecarrier may be loaded with a new complement of reel assembliescontaining fresh boom sections. The carrier may return to the sight ofthe oil spill to further contain it.

The reel bearing mounts may be taken off the reels when they leave thecarrier for temporary or permanent storage; they may be put on new reelsat time of loading. There is enough clearance between the shaft andbearing so they can slip on and off by hand.

Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments of thepresent invention are possible, as appreciated by those skilled in theart in light of the above teachings. For example, a number of inflatedchambers may be employed, other than the two chambers 102, 104 shown inthe preferred embodiment. Also, materials other than neoprene, anddimensions other than those given above, may be chosen. It is thereforeto be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims and theirequivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described.

What is claimed is:
 1. An arrangement of first and second substantiallyidentical boom valve assemblies especially suitable for use in inflatingand deflating chambers of a floatable boom, the arrangementcomprising:A) the first and second substantially identical boom valveassemblies having respective openings slightly smaller than thechambers' cross sectional area so as to allow low-pressure, high-volumeinflation of the chambers, each of the first and second boom valveassemblies including:a) a hollow cylinder having an inside portion andan outside portion, the hollow cylinder including at least one port at aposition on the inside portion such that when the cylinder is installedin the boom's chamber the at least one port is within the chamberproviding gas communication between the chamber and the interior of thecylinder; b) a diaphragm slidingly disposed within the hollow cylinderhaving at least:1) a closed position in which it is sealingly positionedbetween the outside portion of the cylinder and the at least one port toprevent gas from passing between (a) the inside of the chamber and (b)the cylinder's outside portion; and 2) an open position in which thediaphragm is positioned further from the open portion of the cylinderthan the closed position to allow gas to pass between (a) the inside ofthe chamber and (b) the cylinder's outside portion through the at leastone port and through the cylinder; and c) urging means, operativelyconnected to the diaphragm and having a small urging force ofpredetermined magnitude, for normally urging the diaphragm into theclosed position, the urging force's predetermined magnitude being evenless than that of the low pressure air pumped from through the firstvalve assembly through the opening to the second valve assembly.
 2. Thearrangement of claim 1, further comprising:a single fitted piece,operably connected to both the cylinder and the diaphragm of only one ofthe first and second valve assemblies, shaped to hold the diaphragm inthe open position regardless of the presence of closing force from theurging member.
 3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein:the fitted pieceis shaped substantially like a partially flattened Greek letter omega"Ω", having a curved portion and two straighter end portions, the twostraighter end portions formed to fit into apertures in the cylinder. 4.The arrangement of claim 2, wherein:the fitted piece is firm butflexible.
 5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein:the fitted piece is ofnylon.
 6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein:the urging means has apredetermined magnitude of urging force capable of being overcome by asufficient opening force of low-pressure gas applied against thediaphragm from the outer portion of the cylinder so that low-pressuregas from outside the chamber forces the diaphragm into the open positionand enters chamber through the at least one port.
 7. The arrangement ofclaim 1, wherein:the urging means has a predetermined magnitude ofurging force substantially less than gas pressure in the boom sectionswhen the boom sections are inflated and less than low pressure gas thatis pumped from the first valve assembly to the second valve assembly. 8.The arrangement of claim 1, wherein:the urging means comprises a spring.9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein:the spring extends from an endportion of the cylinder to the diaphragm; and the diaphragm, thecylinder, and the end portion substantially define the inside portion ofthe cylinder.
 10. The arrangement of claim 9, wherein:the spring is ahelical spring wound about a pin which extends from the end portionthrough the diaphragm.
 11. The arrangement of claim 1, furthercomprising:an "O"-shaped ring fixed to an interior surface of thecylinder, providing a substantially air-tight contact for the diaphragmand the cylinder, substantially preventing passage of air between theinside portion and the outside portion of the cylinder when thediaphragm is in its closed position.
 12. The arrangement of claim 11,wherein:the cylinder includes an annular notch shaped to receive the"O"-shaped ring.
 13. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein:the cylinderincludes a plurality of ports positioned at substantially regularangular intervals around the inside portion of the cylinder, allowingpassage of air between the inside portion and the interior of thechamber.
 14. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:a pin,substantially centrally disposed in the cylinder and parallel thereto,the pin being sealingly affixed through a center portion of thediaphragm and passing through an end portion of the cylinder in theinside portion of the cylinder; a ring, attached to an end of the pin inthe outside portion of the cylinder; and a fitted piece, shaped toengage the ring and hold the diaphragm in the open position regardlessof the presence of closing force of the urging means; wherein the pinguides the diaphragm as it moves within the cylinder.
 15. Thearrangement of claim 1, further comprising:a tube, shaped to sealinglyengage outside portions of a first valve assembly and a second valveassembly so that air can pass from the first valve assembly to thesecond valve assembly.
 16. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein:thepredetermined urging force causes a closing pressure of less than about1/8 pound per square inch.
 17. A method of using first and secondsubstantially identical valve assemblies to simultaneously inflaterespective first and second chambers of boom sections in a boom forcontaining spills of a substance on a body of water, the methodcomprising the steps of:inserting a removable fitted piece into only thefirst valve assembly so as to hold the first valve assembly in an openposition, the open position allowing passage of gas from inside thefirst chamber out the first valve assembly through an opening, theopening being slightly smaller than the chambers' cross sectional areaso as to allow low-pressure, high-volume inflation of the chambers;attaching a connecting tube between the first valve assembly and thesecond valve assembly; and pumping the air at low pressure into thefirst chamber so that the low pressure air passes from the firstchamber, through the first valve assembly, out the opening, and throughthe connecting tube, to force the second valve assembly into its openposition using only the force of the low pressure pumped air.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising the step of:stopping the pumpingof gas into the first chamber, so that the second valve assembly returnsto a closed position only because it no longer has the low pressurepumped air forcing it into its open position.
 19. The method of claim18, further comprising the step of:removing the connecting tube.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, further comprising the step of:removing the fittedpiece, so that the first valve assembly returns to its closed positionunder force of an urging member.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein thepumping step includes:pumping air of low pressure so that it is able toovercome an opposing closing pressure of the second valve assembly ofless than about 1/8 pound per square inch, so as to force the secondvalve assembly open.
 22. A method of using first and secondsubstantially identical valve assemblies to simultaneously inflaterespective first and second chambers of boom sections in a boom forcontaining spills of a substance on a body of water, the methodcomprising the steps of:inserting into only the first valve assembly,means for holding the first valve assembly in an open position andallowing passage of gas from inside the first chamber out the firstvalve assembly and into the second valve assembly through an opening,the opening being slightly smaller than the chambers' cross sectionalarea so as to allow low-pressure, high-volume inflation of the chambers;and pumping the air at low pressure into the first chamber so that thelow pressure air passes from the first chamber, through the first valveassembly, and through the opening, to force the second valve assemblyinto an open position using only the force of the low pressure pumpedair.
 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:stoppingthe pumping of gas into the first chamber, so that the second valveassembly returns to a closed position only because it no longer has thelow pressure pumped air forcing it into its open position.
 24. Themethod of claim 23, further comprising the step of:removing the meansfor holding and allowing, so that the first valve assembly returns toits closed position under force of an urging member.
 25. The method ofclaim 22, wherein the pumping step includes:pumping air of low pressureso that it is able to overcome an opposing closing pressure of thesecond valve assembly of less than about 1/8 pound per square inch, soas to force the second valve assembly open.